2008 Woodie Awards
The Stop Global Warming ecoSneaks Are On the Rise
Sarah Wenman
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: Lifestyle
Going green? Now your shoes can be environmentally friendly, too! Simple Shoes is one company that decided to take their own steps toward making the world a better place. They use natural products such as organic cotton, cork, bamboo, hemp, wool, and latex, along with recycled plastics and other materials to make some very cool shoes. Their website actually gives customers the specific ingredients in each pair of shoes and lets you know how these ingredients help make their shoes not only more environmentally friendly but also more practical and durable.
For example, Simple Shoes uses the rubber from old car tires to make the outsoles for a lot of their shoes. This rubber would normally be taking up space in a landfill; instead, it is making your shoes more durable and waterproof. Michael, one friendly Simple Shoes Customer Sales Representative, says, "Obviously a lot of other shoes that use rubber don't use as durable a product as car tires, which are made to put up with a lot of elements. You can walk miles in our shoes!"
Simple Shoes are best known for their EcoSneaks, shoes that are even "vegan and veggie friendly." These shoes contain no animal byproducts and are made with 100% post-consumer or organic products. The organic cotton they use makes their shoes more breathable, and the hemp that goes into a lot of the shoes also makes them tough, so you don't have to worry about your gym shoes falling apart after a few good runs.
The shoes come in over fifty styles for men and women, in sandals, sneakers, and clogs. They come in a variety of colors and styles, and you can see them on online at simpleshoes.com. Some Simple Shoes are a little on the pricey side, but the money is going to a good cause. Five dollars from the cost of certain styles go to help causes like StopGlobalWarming.com. Simple Shoes is also dedicated to their Green Toe program, which represents their best effects to continue to make this world a greener place. They use profits from their Green Toe t-shirts and shoes to develop new ways to make more environmentally friendly shoes and other products. Several of their other styles of shoes also donate funds to different causes. Michael adds, "We are a very green-minded organization. We no longer mail out catalogs, because that leads to a lot of wasted paper, and we are always looking for other natural materials to use and ways to minimize the ecological footprints that our shoes make."
The closest store that sells Simple shoes is Cabela's in Prairie du Chien, but there are also several places in the Twin Cities including Tradehome Shoes and PJ Asch Outfitters, and Prosperity Enterprise and Morgan Shoes in Madison. You can order the shoes online, where they are offering free shipping for a limited time. They ship their products in biodegradable bags to reduce the environmental impact. Simple Shoes also sells backpacks and reusable shopping bags, saying that they have a dream of putting the question of paper or plastic to rest.
For example, Simple Shoes uses the rubber from old car tires to make the outsoles for a lot of their shoes. This rubber would normally be taking up space in a landfill; instead, it is making your shoes more durable and waterproof. Michael, one friendly Simple Shoes Customer Sales Representative, says, "Obviously a lot of other shoes that use rubber don't use as durable a product as car tires, which are made to put up with a lot of elements. You can walk miles in our shoes!"
Simple Shoes are best known for their EcoSneaks, shoes that are even "vegan and veggie friendly." These shoes contain no animal byproducts and are made with 100% post-consumer or organic products. The organic cotton they use makes their shoes more breathable, and the hemp that goes into a lot of the shoes also makes them tough, so you don't have to worry about your gym shoes falling apart after a few good runs.
The shoes come in over fifty styles for men and women, in sandals, sneakers, and clogs. They come in a variety of colors and styles, and you can see them on online at simpleshoes.com. Some Simple Shoes are a little on the pricey side, but the money is going to a good cause. Five dollars from the cost of certain styles go to help causes like StopGlobalWarming.com. Simple Shoes is also dedicated to their Green Toe program, which represents their best effects to continue to make this world a greener place. They use profits from their Green Toe t-shirts and shoes to develop new ways to make more environmentally friendly shoes and other products. Several of their other styles of shoes also donate funds to different causes. Michael adds, "We are a very green-minded organization. We no longer mail out catalogs, because that leads to a lot of wasted paper, and we are always looking for other natural materials to use and ways to minimize the ecological footprints that our shoes make."
The closest store that sells Simple shoes is Cabela's in Prairie du Chien, but there are also several places in the Twin Cities including Tradehome Shoes and PJ Asch Outfitters, and Prosperity Enterprise and Morgan Shoes in Madison. You can order the shoes online, where they are offering free shipping for a limited time. They ship their products in biodegradable bags to reduce the environmental impact. Simple Shoes also sells backpacks and reusable shopping bags, saying that they have a dream of putting the question of paper or plastic to rest.
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