SUSTAINABLE SHOES & WHY WE LOVE THEM

Chill fashion is a way of life. What we wear is a window into what we believe in and a reflection of how we want the world to be. For us at Freedom Moses, making super comfy, vegan slides for you to chill in is our way of helping people everywhere be more conscious, more comfortable and one with Mama Earth.

Our vegan slides reflect how we connect with the world - with respect, love and freedom. Every slide we make incorporates those values. Stress free, responsible and mindful. You’ve heard the term eco-warrior, right ? We prefer eco-walker. Making a difference with every step you take.

Making a difference begins with being informed. How did fashion become ‘fast’ ? How can we become conscious footsteppers and why does it even matter ? What is Freedom Moses doing to help create a more mindful, chill world ?

We’re here to give you all the insight you need to understand and appreciate footwear sustainability and the chill lifestyle.

* Why sustainable shoes matter

By the time you finish reading this sentence, nearly 2000 shoes will be produced. That's 770 shoes per second, 24.3 billion a year.
A lot of new kicks that are, as Paolo Nutini would say, making everything right.

How we create and distribute all these bundles of joy affects everything on this planet. The ozone and oceans, animals and us.
The fastest way back to equilibrium with nature is to reduce our footprint, ASAP.

CO2 footprint

Footwear production releases 700 million MT of CO2 each year. We can change that. When brands research their CO2 footprint they can take action to reduce emissions, not just offset them. Choosing sustainable shoes allows ozone conscious consumers to take a breath of fresh air and chill, knowing they’ve taken a step to slow global warming.

Toxic dies

There is also lots we can do to mitigate toxic dies and polyester microfibers reaching our clean water and oceans. Did you know that fashion is considered the second worst water polluting industry, after agriculture ? Sure, everyone deserves comfy supportive shoes on their hooves and food in their stomach. The question is how to get there while being part of this planet, not against it.

Leather

Speaking of being in harmony with nature, animal hides are used for creating all kinds of footwear, from boots to stilettos.
Those mesmerizing patterns that put you in a trance, a statement of style and quality, we all agree. But sustainable shoes can ornate you with a touch of lux and comfort without harming any animal in the process.

Freedom Moses slides take after nature's most beautiful creations, patterns and landscapes, without severing the connection to Mother Earth. Check out our women’s slides animal print collection to find your spirit animal, we personally love the fierce Cobra on grey slides.

Fair labor

Joining the sustainable shoes movement will help create a more loving and compassionate global society. As the fashion industry grew, most footwear production was relocated to third world countries due to financial considerations. This created unethical labor practices, unfair trade and dangerous work conditions. Both brands and consumers can say goodbye to all these simply by making a decision. Freedom Moses has made that decision.

It's time to recalibrate our energies and refocus footwear to a place that not only expresses what we love, but exemplifies how we love. To do that we need to understand the engine that drives un-sustainable footwear.

* Bringing freedom to fast fashion

Fast fashion is a term that describes the breakneck speed at which clothing, shoes and accessories are produced and rolled out to the public.

New collections come out every week and this has disrupted how we experience the wonderful cycle of spring, summer, fall and winter. The products are cheap enough to buy something new after only a few uses. But this takes us out of sync with nature’s cycle. While the earth calmly revolves around the sun, consumers constantly feel ‘out of style’. We lose the ability to pause, chill and enjoy the moment.

How did this happen ?

To ramp up production, major shoe companies reduced the price per item and optimized supply chains. Material sourcing increased exponentially, pushing the cattle and cotton industries to their limit. Mass production moved offshore where labor costs and taxes are lower and regard for safety and social benefits are virtually nonexistent. At lower prices, consumers can almost keep up with the constant newness, ultimately spending much more.

Before the machines of the industrial revolution met fashion in the 1800s, fashion was considered ‘slow’, some would say laid back. Cultivating materials like cotton, wool or hides took time and creating fabrics required labor intensive weaving and curing. Farmers and tanners took pride in their work and, like artists, were at one with their muse.

Buying clothes used to happen once or twice a year. Shoes were made to last, and consumers made them last by taking care and fixing them up. Remember when you glued those sequins on your sneakers ?

Reconnecting with our roots

At Freedom Moses we are inspired by our connection to our roots. Our process is thoughtful, heaped with love and designed to create sustainable shoes that stand for something. From our basic red slides to the print slides collection, our shoes are not just made to get you from one place to another. We want them to be a gate to physical, emotional and mental health.

Hop in the DeLorian, we're back to the 1800s. Sewing, knitting and moulding machines changed the game. Clothes became easier, quicker and cheaper to make. Instead of individual dressmakers, tailors and cobblers, factories popped up like shrooms. In the early 1900s, the first sweatshops emerged in London, then spread to Paris and the world. If Pinky and the Brain were around then, you know what they would say…

By the 70’s, fashion trends were being created not only by boutique brands but by hippies on the street touting fun multicolored die-ties. Our Zeplin, Joplin, Jimmy and new Saks collab slides are a tribute to that era of free expression and fun fashion.

By the year 2000, international trade and the surge in online shopping put fast fashion at our fingertips. This led to consumer habits that are harmful for our earth, body and minds.

We see it our responsibility to counteract today’s unmindful consumer trends as much as we can. Our goal is to bring more consideration and love for nature to the consumer world. And our weapon of choice is sustainable, vegan shoes. As Bette Midler once said, “I firmly believe that with the right footwear one can rule the world.”

* Stepping away from leather

Leather is the main component in 33% of all shoes. With those kinds of stats it's worth taking a deeper look at the price of shiny skins.

The conditions in the cattle, snake and alligator hide industry don’t need to be repeated. And for most of us it is clear that wearing leather is just not cool. The impact of the manufacturing procedures, however, is not as well known.

Tanning is the process of turning a hide into long lasting leather. Humans have been tanning hides for over 9,000 years using vegetable tannins from fruits, leaves, bark and roots that contain a natural organic Phenol compound.

It’s amazing to think how inventive early humans were, and how - when in tune with nature - anything is possible. The process was generally non-toxic and took a few slow and calm months to complete. That was fine for a small human population, leaving everyone enough time to watch the sunset.

In 1858, however, Chromium tanning was invented. This shortened the process to one single day. It’s understandable why profit-driven businesses migrated almost completely to chromium tanning. Today, the new process is used to manufacture 95% of all leather shoes.

The problem is that the compound used in leather tanning (Sodium-dichromate) is carcinogenic. It is estimated that at least 50% of chromium is dumped into waterways, causing heavy chemical pollution in the environment and severely affecting plants, animals and humans.

For us, giving up leather is a no brainer. We don’t believe that one has to give up on style or compromise on quality only to express the power and elegance of the animal kingdom. Just try a vegan option like our Cobra, Wildcat, Leo or Zebra print slides and see what we mean.

* Vegan shoes from heel to toe

Just like with processed food, the more components an item has, the higher you’ll want to pop your eyebrow before purchasing.

The range of materials used for footwear include colors, threads, resins, glues, leather and more. Each of these could be environmentally sound, or not. The more pieces a shoe has, the more adhesives and thread it will need. And it's a slippery slope towards toxic chemicals.

When a shoe company says they're vegan, what does that mean ?

There two types of vegan are:

Plant based
Petroleum based

Plant based materials could mean creating fibres from apples, hemp and cacti, and creating soles from cork, algae or vegetable rope. Some sustainable shoe companies even make leather substitutes from pineapples. Love it!

Petroleum based footwear components are also vegan. Although petroleum products are not renewable, they are recyclable. The whole recycling industry was created to help reuse our scarce natural resources.

Every year, 300 million pairs of shoes reach landfills or the ocean, with most requiring at least 30-40 years to decompose. Since the footwear market is projected to grow 63% by 2030, it is high time we start choosing durable, long lasting vegan options.

Our sustainable slide collection keeps you vegan without compromising on your classic denim style or funky peach prints. Want to go more basic ? Try a mix of blue slides and white slides for a calming skylike effect.

* Rise of the ethical shoe supply chain

Our value chain starts from sourcing and continues to manufacturing, packaging, shipping, and disposal. Just like life, it is all cyclic and every link in the chain is important.

We strive to be sure that our manufacturers and suppliers are ethical and environmentally sound. We build sustainability in, earth up. Here’s how we do it.

Manufacturing

It all starts with making sure our suppliers comply with a basic set of labor conditions like ventilation and reasonable working hours. Workers have to be over 18 and get fair wages that are relevant to the country they are in. Another important part of manufacturing is how workshops handle waste, from gases to physical leftovers.

We’re not afraid to shake it up and introduce innovation that can make our sustainable slides safer to make and more comfy to wear. For this we use the one-piece air injected resin. A special machine creates the whole slide from one material, hands-free.

Packaging

Have you ever received a pair of shoes from an online store ? Stuffed with paper or bubble wrap, in nylon, in a box, within a box. Do we really need all that packaging ? Sustainable packaging means using recycled, compostable materials. Our packaging at Freedom Moses is sustainable, biodegradable or compostable and minimalist.

Shipping

For the time being, most footwear will continue to be made in third-world countries. As working conditions and awareness improve, it is good to remember that their participation in the cycle brings much needed income to millions of families.

But because every shoe needs to be shipped from afar, choosing brands that have streamlined this process is definitely something to look out for. All Freedom Moses slides come with free shipping over 50$. To do this we crunched the numbers and bunched deliveries so shipping can be as carbon-neutral and efficient as possible. For example, we moved our warehouse to the US so that we can ship to our US audience locally and not from any other location.

Use and reuse

The final phase of sustainable shoe use is re-use. The Circular Fashion movement has emerged to keep energy flowing and make sure every item is reused, repurposed or recycled.

Truly sustainable shoes not only have a final phase solution but actually postpone that moment. We make our slides to last. Chilling at the beach, letting loose on the dancefloor, or Sunday morning brunch with friends, these babies will keep their shine in the long-term.

We believe in donating your used shoes so they can be of use to others. We also donate our excess inventory on a yearly basis to people in need.

* The sustainable fashionista glossary

A sustainable fashionista is an informed one and we aren’t letting you back into the wild without understanding the top terms that will shape your consumption choices for the next 50 years. Here we go:

Sustainable footwear any shoe, from a cushy slide to a cowboy boot that has reduced negative impact on the environment, animals, and the humans that make them.

Eco-friendly refers to the sourcing, manufacturing, shipping and end-of-life of a product. If it's non-toxic and cruelty free, you’re good to go.

Vegan no animals hurt in the process, whatsoever. Simple as that.

Cruelty-free in this day and age, using animals for any product is a big no-no. Caging, breeding, and killing is cruelty, any way you look at it.

Fair-trade an economic review that ensures producers in developing countries receive fair value for their work and produce.

Ethical labor and production conditions the conditions of employment and environment in which fashion laborers work. They should be fairly paid, physically protected and socially taken care of.

Sustainable packaging any type of packaging that is recycled, reused and compostable. This includes everything from paper, plastics and cardboard to glue, colors and stickers.

Recycling the process of decomposing an item or material into constituents that can be reused to create other new uses.

Circular fashion the cycle of reusing and repurposing used fashion items like shoes. This may be from one consumer to another or from consumer back to a business that repurposes or recycles the item.

Conscious consumer that's you! A consumer who is mindful of the processes required to create and deliver the products they consume, and the impact these processes have on the rest of the world. A conscious consumer makes informed choices based on ethical values.

Cost-per-wear a measure for how sustainable your purchase is. Dividing the cost by the amount of times you will wear the item gives you the cost-per-wear. The lower the result, the more sustainable and useful your purchase is.

Material sourcing everything that goes into how a business gets the raw materials to create their product.

Fast fashion the production of cheap clothing that imitates high-fashion. It is produced very quickly to be sold quickly and used only a few times before the next trendy item appears. Brands that choose this business model manipulate consumers into believing that one has to be trendy all the time and appearing on the street with something you’ve worn before is shameful.

Renewable any renewable resource should be able to be restored or recreated within reasonable time.

* 9 tips for buying sustainable shoes

On average, 7.6 billion humans buy 3 pairs a year. Some less, some more. Wherever you are on that scale, here are 9 tips to help you quickly make a responsible decision you can be proud of:

Sourced with care make sure the materials and process of obtaining the raw materials that create your dazzling footwear are sound.

Keep it low as a rule of thumb, the less components and materials in your shoes, the better.

Ethical labor only try to figure out if your chosen brand keeps their suppliers in check with ethical labor standards.

Fair trade if ethical labor is about the little guy, fair trade is about the macro economic forces. You as a consumer can dictate how your purchase power is put to use, making sure the producers and developers get their fair share.

Cruelty free go vegan. No animals should be hurt to keep you hip.

Long life slides buying shoes for the long haul is the sustainable thing to do. Quality materials and easy cleaning are two things to look for.

Packaging choose brands that use recyclable, compostable and minimal packaging. Once the sale is made, let's keep our impact to a minimum.

Shipping Do you really need those slides overnight ? Will you be buying another pair in a week’s time and if so can you bundle your purchase ? Make purchasing decisions to positively impact carbon footprint.

Chill and stylish the more comfortable, supported and fashionable you feel in your new shoes, the more you’ll enjoy your shoes and use them, bringing down your cost-to-wear and encouraging others to do the same.

* Sustainable slides at Freedom Moses

We are on a mission to make our slides as vegan and environmentally friendly as possible. To that end, we partnered with the national Plastics & Rubber Center for a research project where we explore environmentally-friendly raw materials that can be used to make our slides.

This isn’t as easy as it sounds. For those of you unaware of recycling laws, each country has its own policies regarding which plastic can be recycled. This makes it tricky for a global brand like Freedom Moses to manufacture slides that meet the recycling requirements of every country.

Still, we believe it is our environmental responsibility to help our customers follow a sustainable lifestyle. That’s why we invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding research to discover just the right balance of polymers and plant-based materials. Our hope is that by the end of this study, we would have the data to help us create shoes that are fully recyclable wherever they are in the world.

* Our social responsibility

While our partners at the lab are doing their thing, we feel there’s a lot we can do ourselves to help the world and the people in it. As a global brand, we have a social responsibility to our customers. We want to share the values that matter to us most because we truly believe they can make a difference.

The core values at Freedom Moses have always been chill and mindfulness. In the exhausting and unhealthy race we all live in, chill as a lifestyle can be a powerful tool to restore our emotional and physical wellbeing. We see things like yoga, meditation, being in nature and living in peace with our bodies and our environment as the most important aspects of living.

It starts with our slides. Designed for comfort and with sustainability in mind, Freedom Moses slides are an everyday reminder of how important our mental, physical and emotional health is.

This year we took things one step further and partnered with a few foundations that advance the values we believe in. Moving forward, we plan on expanding these and similar activities in the hopes of bringing chill and mindfulness to every corner of the world.

As a women-led and mostly female company, we naturally want to team up with organizations that support and empower women. For International Women’s Day 2021, we partnered with the Girls for a Change foundation, a nonprofit youth development organization aimed at empowering Black girls and inspiring them to create change in themselves, each other and the world around them. During that week, we donated 10% of all proceeds to the foundation.
Our planet is our most precious resource and best friend. To celebrate Earth Day 2021, we partnered with the One Tree Planted charity to do our small part in advancing the global reforestation efforts.
Our third area of social responsibility is also the focal point of the Freedom Moses brand: chill and mindfulness. Our partners in this area are The Jed Foundation (JED), a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide among teens and young adults. We love JED because they give teens the information and tools they need to navigate emotional challenges like depression or anxiety, all too common in the adult world. Through education and skill building, these young adults discover tools for self-care and can avoid or minimize harmful mental health conditions.

* Further reading

To continue your path towards conscious consumerism, check out these stepping stones to the future of footwear.

We love the FDRA’s website dedicated solely to shoe sustainability and packed with intuitive infographics and wonderful podcasts.

Good On Ya! are a bunch of Aussies gone wild for sustainable fashion. Their content is sharp, uncompromising, beautifully put together and up to date.

Global Fashion Agenda is a major business and political forum for sustainability in fashion and footwear. Check out their reports and events to keep tabs on what's going on and who’s doing what.

* Looking ahead

At Freedom Moses we proudly create vegan, cruelty-free, sustainable slides. They may be strapping, but they have no straps, just a one piece resin mold. Our packaging is recyclable or compostable and minimalistic.

Shop with us today to become a vegan, sustainable, chill slide owner!

BUY SUSTAINABLE SLIDES HERE ››