February 13, 2008

Hip, Eco-Friendly, Recycled Shoes Made by Terra Plana

Eco-friendly footwear just got hip with Terra Plana's Worn Again brand (and they are on sale right now)! Worn Again creates new shoes from recycled materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. Not only is Terra Plana concerned about the materials they use, but they also aim to improve social, economic, and environmental conditions in regions where they operate. What is better than a profitable business with the coolest recycled shoes around?

While our first collection kept old men's suits and prison blankets from ending up in landfill (good), the transport of materials sourced in the UK to our factory in China was by no means 'environmentally economical' (bad).
Progress has been made. Now into our fifth season, we are sourcing nearly all materials regionally in China and Hong Kong for production in our Chinese factory. Now that we have also started production a bit closer to home in Portugal, we are using the most fashionable disused seatbelts, bicycle tires and military tents from the European region.

Although these shoes aren't entirely vegan, the small amounts of leather used by Worn Again comes from recycled leather car seats. Recycled leather may be a more sustainable option than petroleum-based vegan shoes, anyways.