Veja: The shoes of the future?

Hi everyone,

Let me put you on some sustainable, cute shoes!! The idea for this company was conceived in 2003, when the founders were auditing a company and found the living conditions to be absolutely horrible. They realized that a large number of corporations had situations similar to these, where those helping to create these products were forced to live in terrible and unsafe conditions. Around this time, large corporations were also discussing sustainable initiatives, however, they were not taking action. The founders of Veja decided to take action and make a company founded on transparency and ethical sourcing.

So why did they choose sneakers? Veja thought shoes were symbolic of their generation: “We decided to make sneakers, because this product is a symbol for our generation and our era. It’s also a product that crystallizes the major issues of globalization through its production, dissemination, and usage”. Additionally, the majority of revenue from sneakers goes to advertising, especially from large companies. Veja changed this model by giving up advertising so they could focus more on sustainable production.

They sold their first sneakers in 2005, and have continued bettering their company since then. They post their mistakes and continuously make changes that will, in turn, have a better impact on the environment and the community as a whole.

What materials do they use? They use organic cotton, which they buy directly from the source. Organic cotton uses 91% less water than regular cotton. Furthermore, it contributes fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Organic cotton is a step in the right direction, but there is still a long way to go to finding fully sustainable materials. They also use wild rubber and pay double the market price for it, thus supporting the local economy. Additionally, Veja uses upcycled materials made from plastic bottles, recycled cotton, and recycled polyester. They turn into various forms of fabric: B-mesh, made out of recycled polyester; hexamesh, made out of recycled plastic bottles and organic cotton; and J-mesh, made of jute, recycled cotton, and recycled polyester. Although they still use leather, they have also made some vegan shoes created from a cotton fabric in a corn-based coat.

Overall, Veja is working to create a more ethical and eco-friendly company, and, even though they have come so far, they are always looking for more ways to improve.

Here are some of my favorite sneakers:

Campo Chromefree White Matcha: