Life Cycle: Green Shoe Fetish

Life Cycle is a series of posts that looks at the life and death of everyday things.

Last time, we learned that your yoga mat may be messing with Earth's Zen. Today, we look at another staple of the American workout: tennis shoes.

Not the Chuck Taylor kind. The rubbery, cushy, pumped-up, neon kind that may or may not feature springs, air pockets, reflectors, retractable wheels and motion-sensitive lights.

Training for the New York City marathon in 2004, Sarah wore through three pairs of these running-shoes-on-'roids in twice as many months. In an era when the majority of "tennis shoes" are purchased not for athletic endeavors but for comfort, these products don't hold up to the promise suggested by their $100 price tags, she noted (and then doled out for another pair).

But with ye olde cobbler long dead (re-soling Jesus's Birkenstocks in forgotten profession heaven) and cheap production methods shortening the lives of shoes, Americans have gotten into the habit of pitching worn out (or simply undesired) kicks and buying new ones. Shoe-shopping has become something of a fetish, a joke, an emblem of the spoiled housewife who fills her emotional void with Italian suede.

We could go into Manolos, but we'll focus here on sporty treads, not just to stay on-topic but because they account for a third of the U.S. shoes market.

The production of athletic shoes is infamously shady, from a human rights perspective. Historically, manufacturing giants such as Nike have followed cheap labor, exploiting workers in developing countries so that they might enjoy enormous profit margins. (Nike has really turned itself around in recent years, however, and is now one of the greener players on the field.)

In terms of Mama Earth, your walking shoes definitely walk all over her. They're loaded with plastic components, such as vinyl, that produce cancer-causing emissions when manufactured AND during their decades-long (some say centuries-long) decomposing process in landfills.

As for the cushioning that has been the foot's savior, it's the landfill's curse. Typically made of polyurethane treated with flame-retardant chemicals, the soles and lining of discarded shoes seep toxins into our earth and water--evidenced by studies finding these chemicals (penta-BDEs) in human breast milk. This bad-ass chemical is banned in Europe, but U.S. polyurethane foam still kicks it poison style.

Leather shoe components may result from inhumane slaughter, may come from species other than claimed on the packaging, and certainly were fashioned with highly toxic, energy-guzzling methods.

Then you've got all the stuff that holds your shoe together. Glues, solvents and such. It won't touch you when you're running, as far as we know, but it's a health hazard to the poor people assembling your shoes, and ultimately to your grandchildren when they drink water tainted by the Reeboks you threw out a half-century ago.

Whoa, player, what's the good news? Nike has a well-established shoe recycling program, Reuse-A-Shoe, that turns old tenneys into basketball courts, tracks and other sports surfaces. The company also has designed an eco-friendly boot that incorporates hemp and recycled rubber waste.

Last year, Brooks introduced a biodegradable midsole. And some companies, such as Birkenstock and Splaff, have environmentalism embedded into their mission statements.

And Simple's Green Toe line (Simran loves 'em) are green from sole to lace.

Besides shopping for conscientious brands, you might ask yourself if you need to be shopping for shoes at all. Sarah says emotional shoe-shopping is a habit worth kicking. Simran, who has been called Imelda by quite a few, says make your fetish eco and try Charmone Shoes, Terra Plana or Beyond Skin.

This post was written by Sarah Smarsh and Simran Sethi. Thanks to the University of Kansas School of Journalism and Lacey Johnston for research assistance and Malik Williams for the image.

You can find previews of these posts every week on Green Options.

Comments

[MaeveCassandra]

After four years of wearing the same Converses, the time has definitely come for me to get new sneakers. I'm glad to see that there are people out there who actually care about the shoe industry issue, and who are making an effort to spread the word. This info will definitely help me on my quest for a new (or used?) pair of kicks...and also in how I go about getting rid of the old ones. Thanks for making me think twice!

[sonyacita]

I'll echo the last comment-- these posts are packed with hard facts about land and water contamination that trump 'because mother earth loves you' as an answer to why care? Also, I'm glad to read from you two that U.S. polyurethane foam kicks it poison style because I was pretty sure I'd read that in the Times, but I couldn't quite remember. :)
Sonya

[smallball]

It's nice to see big corporations like Nike make some changes (even if it's small). For example, several months ago they introduced the Steve Nash "Trash Talk" basketball shoes that was made from all the leftover leather scraps from their factory. Steve Nash is a big environmentalist and worked directly with Nike to make the shoes which sold out quickly! We need more athletes pushing their sponsors to act responsibly. I also love the Simple kicks and have been wearing them for years and Patagonia just started making shoes as well!

[Sarah Smarsh - Huffpost Blogger]

Wow, that is rad. Clever name, too ("Trash Talk"). The movement has its share of celebs but could definitely use more athletes, in particular.

[elephantwaylon]

Slightly off subject, but what's the good word on Havianas? I live in 'em, but I heard they're made in prisons in Brazil, which sounds bad. I love Simple's Green Toe, some of the best stuff out there. Crocs though made in china still say boulder, colorado on the bottom. Perhaps my eco-est shoe: vintage cowboy boots, nothing like second-hand, dude, to keep you're footprint green.

[Sarah Smarsh - Huffpost Blogger]

So true on the vintage! See reply to Rhenatan below re: boots that may be my soulmates.

[Rhenatan]

Thanks for including the shoe links. I wear Dansko's in the cooler months. I'm not sure about their eco record as far as their actual shoe construction goes, but I know that they try to follow some green guidelines in their business practices (I think their headquarters are LEED certified). Do you have any info on the production end of things?

They do last a long time and I've never had to throw a pair out. I'm hoping that when I do wear through a pair, the local cobbler will be able to bring them back to life. (Assuming, of course, that the local cobbling business doesn't leave a disproportionately large footprint.)

[Sarah Smarsh - Huffpost Blogger]

Rhenatan, I've had a pair of leather boots for 12 years that recently got re-heeled. They might be the greenest thing I own (though made of leather). Repairing shoes is very romantic. To answer your question, we didn't look much into production (i.e. factory emissions) on this particular item (beyond labor issues), as consumption and the materials themselves seem to be the most pressing issues here.

[Simran Sethi - Huffpost Blogger]

Ajita,
For real, it takes a village. Lacey researched, KU supported, Sarah did most of the writing. (Sarah and I pretty much trade off.) I thank you for your support. And I am the queen of anti-hippy. Shoe sellers, take note and feel free to send samples!
:)
Simran

[Ajita]

Simran,
I want to thank you for the meticulous research you do into your pieces. Since most of us lead busy lives and there is so much green-washing out there, its increasingly difficult to make informed consumer choices. You're helping me reduce my footprint with your reporting.
I looked into some of the brands you suggest and am pleased that many of them are hip without screaming 'hippie'!
so, thanks!