UPVOTED ECO SHOES
Around 300 million shoes head to landfill in the UK every year… so Kieran Alger sniffs out chic sneaks that’ll leave a lighter footprint on the planet
Kieran Alger
The post-petro plodder
Veja Condor
For a future free from petro-chemical plastics, the Condor is aimed at everyday runs rather than record attempts. It mixes 53% bio-based and recycled materials with virgin plastic and rubber. The uppers are 100% recycled bottles; the outsole is made from wild rubber and rice husk.
€130/
veja-store.com
The graphene gripper
Inov-8 Mudclaw G 260
The average lifespan of a running shoe is 4-6 months. But what if we had footwear that performed for longer? Inov-8’s graphene-coated trail shoes do just that: the treated outsoles are validated by the National Graphene Institute to be 50% more hard-wearing. More miles, less waste.