By Rosie McGinley-Kase
We all makes choices that impact our environment, whether in a positive or negative way. From the kind of vehicle we drive, to choosing paper or plastic bags at the grocery store. How important is helping our mother Earth to you? Well, Simple Shoes has taken their concerns and turned them into action by making biodegradable organic products, as well as taking plastic bottles and old tires and using them in their products.
Simple Shoes started off as a small company, located in Santa Barbara, they call themselves a group of “shoe nerds” for being so into the engineering of how shoes are made and what goes into making them. They had a brilliant idea to create a line of shoes that didn’t look like you should be floating in outer space while wearing them. They also wanted to create a line of shoes that would create less trash and toxins, hence the name ‘Simple.’ So, after some brainstorming, they came out with Green Toe method using all organic products.
Just like the start of everything else, there were some hit and misses with their new line. So, they out changes to make them more comfortable and sustainable. With the Green Toe method, they decided on a rating system of “good”, ” better”, and “best”, based on which were the most environmentally friendly, comfortable, and sustainable. This helped their customers have a better understanding of what they were buying.
With the creation of these shoes, Simple gives us the choice to take the next step toward making our world a cleaner place. They use old car and bike tires to create the sole of several of their shoes. Simple has also found a way to reuse plastic by taking our old bottles ad turning them into shoelaces.
Not only does Simple use recycled products, they also use all organic, sustainable materials. Using organic products, such as organic cotton, helps keep the land and the nearby water around it safe from pesticides. Simple also uses hemp, which is one of the most sustainable and biodegradable products the earth has given us. They can weave the yarn-like material together to create the outter shell of the shoe. Simple also uses a water-based glue, which holds very well, but is also toxin free.
Simple looks into every aspect of their shoes, in an effort to make them as earth-friendly as possible. Even the packaging is 100% post-customer. They use recycled paper and cardboard that is wet down and then pressed into form. They also use water-based ink for labeling the boxes. They’ve got all the bases covered, from the very beginning to the final packaging, to make their product as earth friendly as possible.
Simple Shoes has come along way and have made a big difference in the way both customers and manufacturers think about what they wear, and how they make their products. So come check them out down at South Coast Surf Shops. The new line has arrived and they are more stylish and comfortable than ever.