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I am a proud Goodwill shopper. I avoid buying new clothes and dumping my old ones. My one exception is footwear. I purchase one pair of shoes about every two years and wear them every day, so I want something durable and sustainable. Thankfully I have some options that will not only look good and survive my wear and tear, but also jibe with my environmental values. The following companies offer quality Earth-friendly shoes—and make a tidy profit in the process.

Simple
Simple is unusually honest as far as its website history. The period from 1991 to 2003 is summarized with a one-eyed cartoon “loser” and this explanation: “Somewhere along the way we lost our way.” By 2004, the company found a new way: sustainability. “When it comes to being planet-friendly in our industry, the status quo sucks,” the company writes in its next history entry.

An eco focus is clearly working for the company. Simple is a popular brand sold at five stores within three miles of my house—and thousands of other stores (so you don’t have to come to Fort Collins, unless you want good beer with your shoes).

Simple now uses recycled carpet padding, plastic, paper, inner tubes and tires; renewable bamboo, hemp and coconut fibers (mmmm, shoe daiquiri anyone?); and other sustainable materials. Every shoe and accessory contains at least a couple of these Earth-friendly materials.

One minor quibble: I don’t get the sustainability of eco-certified leather. It’s better than leather treated with nasty chemicals, but cows consume a lot of water and energy and produce greenhouse gases. To be fair though, cow-haters can seek out Simple’s 15 vegan models.

Simple spokeswoman Rachel Elbinger finds it hard to gauge how many sales are eco-driven. “Sales have grown since we made the switch to sustainable materials back in 2005, but we’re not sure how to measure that, since some people buy our shoes because they just like the way they look,” she said. “However, we do know that people are looking for eco-friendly shoes, vegan shoes, etc., and they vote with their wallets.”

SoleRebels
Making mostly sandals and women’s slip-on shoes, SoleRebels was founded by an Ethiopian woman who turned a family workshop into the country’s first Fair Trade-certified company. Four years after its launch, SoleRebels employs 40 full-time workers to hand-spin organic cotton and attach it to recycled tires. The Ethiopian villagers could not be reached for comment, but it’s fair to call SoleRebels an environmental and financial success story.

Nike
The ubiquitous swoosh has come a long way since the boycott of its sweatshops in the 1990s. Along with stricter factory standards, Nike has a detailed environmental policy and now sells recycled shoes and clothes. It also recycles used shoes. Reflecting a consumer shift, Nike has taken its Considered line from a fringe product to a widely marketed corporate focus. In 2005, a company representative told Sustainable Industries that glue-free, locally sourced shoes were only for “independent consumers” who “are very environmentally conscious.”

I guess Nike found a lot of independent customers, and a lot of reusable factory scraps. Last year, it added recycled rubber to the landmark 23rd Air Jordan model (Jordan wore No. 23, in case you missed the significance). This year, Nike reused manufacturing scrap materials to make the Zoom MVP Trash Talk, a 100% recycled basketball shoe worn and endorsed by Steve Nash. He is apparently a super eco-star as well as basketball superstar.

“I have a passion for preserving our environment, so if I can wear a Nike basketball shoe that reuses waste, performs on the court and is packaged in a shoebox made from 100% recycled fiber, then that’s a winning combination,” he said in a press statement.

A new Swift line of track and rowing gear is made entirely of recycled polyester from plastic bottles, used clothes and factory scraps. Further, the suits are all made in Oregon—not Nike’s infamous Asian factories—reducing both transport energy use and global-warming pollution.

Nike has helped launch a business coalition advocating for both renewable energy and climate change legislation. “The group’s key principles include stimulating renewable energy, promoting energy efficiency and green jobs, requiring 100% auction of carbon allowances, and limiting new coal-fired power plants to those that capture and store carbon emissions,” notes the company website.

From Ethiopian sandals to hemp skate shoes and Air Jordans, shoe companies have made great strides (pun not intended) in sustainable footwear. And, like many other businesses, they are being rewarded with handsome profits for their eco consciousness.

Updated 8/25/10; originally posted 10/7/09.

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