The Rise of Sustainable and Ethical Women's Shoe Brands

With every step that we take, we are contributing in either a good way or harming our environment. We must implement the concept of truly sustainable fashion because this is the need of today. Let's say, a brand is ethically a super star just because they’re good in work ethics, ensuring safe and sound working conditions, giving them a decent wage, pay in return for their hard work and the environment is friendly for the labor but what if the production is done by chemical or synthetic materials.

Shoes have a huge cultural, religious and political footmark on us for decades. With time shoes making has evolved, improved but many unethical practices have put a question mark on where we are going by these acts, what would be the outcome and its effects on our planet earth.  We always think about clothing but footwear is also an important part of our lives. When we talk about responsible and conscious fashion choices, therefore, sustainability in the fashion industry means promoting the well-being of people, communities and using raw materials and adopting processes that are natural and safe for our environment.

It's a journey from factory to foot that is a cause of concern because a research claims that footwear industry is responsible for 14% of global greenhouse gas emission stemming from the production chain and materials used. A huge variety of shoes like high heel mules or chunky platform heels are made from unsustainable materials like glues, leather and other plastics that aren’t easily recyclable and require a lot of resources to create and don't decompose easily.

Let's look upon some reasons why we’re seeing a rise in sustainable and ethical women's shoes.    

1-     Sustainability is Our Top Priority

A good brand is responsible enough in a way that they always try not to put any negative impact on the environment and the beings living on it. We must use less chemicals and other non-recyclable materials that may cause diseases and many harmful effects on the environment. The fast fashion industry is a culprit in it, many shoes are made from low quality material which end up in less durability and you’ve to discard them soon but the problem is that they don’t decompose in landfills easily.  Also avoid unethical methods of production, instead prefer using materials that are sustainable and eco-friendly too.

2-       Awareness in Ethical and Fair-Trade

This indicates the activities conducted for the welfare of the people working in the shoe industry. It’s rather advisable to follow sustainable and ethical practices that are transparent about their details on factory, working conditions and manufacturing process. Many trade and labor unions protect the rights of the labor and discourage child labor too. They give equal gender rights in the workplace and good salaries too. They also take care that workers and employees are also paid fairly for their work and they work in safe working conditions. Moreover, verbal and physical abuse are still common practice in many workplaces. Labor and employees are more concerned about their rights, who are working and try to reap all possible benefits and bonuses too.  

3-     Be Conscious About Your Carbon Footprint

All the industries, even fashion and shoes, emit a hefty amount of greenhouse gasses which are actively contributing to global warming. Many of our shoes are made from non-recyclable materials, including polyester, acrylic and nylon. These materials require a lot more energy and our fossil fuels resources to manufacture these products. Whereas, we must prefer using natural and recycled things which don't require any chemical treatments, use small amounts of water, less energy and no fertilizer or pesticides involved in the raw material processing. These environmentally sound materials go easy on the planet and are amazing sustainable alternatives. 

4-     People are Against Animal Cruelty

Many industries still kill animals for their personal interest and don't mind this cruelty at all. They don’t do it for any kind of necessity but rather use it for profit making and other benefits. They use skins and leather to make some exclusive shoe products to accent their brand and this is a good way of making money too. This practice is actually putting many animals and their rare species in danger which are now endangered or near to extinct.

Many people are against this practice nowadays and don't prefer those brands that use animals for their interests. They find this practice inhuman and usually avoid such brands and goods that are doing such practices. We must also educate consumers about commercial animal farming and their exploitation for fashion and in shoe making.

Summing Up

Shoes from sustainable materials help to reduce carbon footprint. plant-based, recycled and biodegradable materials are all in the frame for the future of eco-friendly shoes making. you can use vegan apple leather, coconut husk, sugar cane husk, cock, recycled bottle lining, all are eco-conscious choices. We can use them as soles of high heel mules or chunky platform heels as these choices are a step in the right direction and are way better than unsustainable choices. Many brands also consider using shopping bags which are made from paper obtained from wood or cloth packing, which is recyclable and decomposes more quickly in soil than any other product. These bags are not even harmful for animals either.