In a world where an individual can own up to fifty pairs of shoes, the shoe industry has begun to see the need to adopt green practices. Shoe manufacturers are improving their production methods to reduce the size of the carbon footprint they leave behind. However, recognizing that green assembly is not enough, the industry has incorporated recycled and biodegradable materials into its production of green footwear.

Manufacture of ecological footwear

In the late 19th century, as factories sprang up in the United States, domestic shoemaking boomed. Due to economical production practices abroad in recent years, shoe manufacturers have largely left the US. However, eco-friendly shoe creation is bringing some of that business back home.

Less energy, more profit

Shoe manufacturers can save money by going green! The following production practices are becoming increasingly popular in manufacturing due to their ability to reduce costs:

– Wind power

– Solar energy

– Conversion of waste into energy

– Energy conservation machinery

environmentally friendly materials

The use of eco-friendly textiles and post-consumer materials in the manufacturing of eco-friendly footwear has already had a significant impact in reducing the industry’s negative effects on Earth. Dating back to the late 1800s, the St. Louis-based Daniel Green Company is an American shoemaker keeping pace with the green times. Its Callie and Kenzie women’s shoes are made with 100% recycled wool, more ecological styles are expected soon, energy use and material waste in its manufacturing processes have been reduced.

Green Textiles:

– Recycled Wool

– Recycled polyester

– Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

– Organic cotton

-Bamboo

– hemp

Recycled Textiles

Making a shoe entirely out of recycled materials is nothing new. In 2008, Nike launched its Trash Talk, the brand’s first basketball shoe made entirely from manufacturing waste.

Since the average textile factory consumes about 35 million kilowatts of electricity per hour, it’s easy to see the benefit of reusing the materials that were initially produced. Some eco-friendly shoe manufacturers have skipped textiles entirely and have used plastic bottles or old tires as main components in the production of their footwear.

Other Eco-Friendly Practices in the Footwear Industry: Process Streamlining, Green Packaging and Excess Inventory Donations

Running as a successful shoe company can simply take a toll on the environment, but today manufacturers have choices and financial success doesn’t have to come at the expense of the planet.

Green shoe companies are applying the green initiative to all aspects of their business by implementing sustainable corporate policies and eco-friendly packaging methods. The boxes are being made from recycled materials and the catalogs are being printed on post-consumer paper with soy ink. More and more companies are choosing to eliminate waste by donating surplus and outdated shoes to organizations around the world.