American sustainable fashion brand Everlane recently announced the launch of its sneaker brand Tread by Everlane. Michael Preysman, founder and CEO, said, "Of everything we wear, sneakers have one of the heaviest footprints. They require a ton of energy to produce, are made largely from virgin plastic and never break down. That’s where we come in. The mission: Make the world’s most sustainable sneakers.”
How will the company achieve this goal? Everlane uses raw materials. According to the company a typical sneaker contains a lot of hidden plastic. Tread by Everlane uses recycled plastic wherever possible—like for the laces, lining or strobel board. The average sneaker sole is almost entirely made of plastic as well. By blending natural rubber and post-industrial recycled rubber, the company developed a sole that’s 94.2% free of virgin plastic. The result: 18,000 pounds of rubber kept out of the landfill and 54% less greenhouse gas emissions.
The company also stated that it produces at the world’s cleanest tannery and partners with two third-party firms to measure the trainer’s carbon footprint and offset 100% of those emissions. Even though the sneakers are made out of leather, Everlane chose to work with a responsible supplier and has found a reliable partner with Saigon TanTec.
The unisex sneakers come in seven colors, are available in men’s sizes 7–13 and women’s sizes 5–12 and cost US$98.
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