Cariuma Footwear Sustainable Materials

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By embracing personal style over status-quo trends, we empower conscious consumers to buy quality over quantity (the only true answer to sustainability). We imbue every stage of our sneaker-making process with this eco-conscious spirit, from designing to curating materials responsibly, to shipping and giving back to the environment. Being better for the planet is our first priority.

Crafting Sneakers with a Green Conscience

We curate premium raw materials in order to yield a smaller footprint.

Organic Cotton
We exclusively source organic cotton that is grown with regenerative methods, without harmful pesticides or fertilizers, and directly combats heavy soil erosion and nitrate leaching (both characteristic of conventional farming). Organic cotton also means farmers, agricultural workers, and anyone involved in the manufacturing process of our sustainable sneakers are safe from toxic chemicals and pesticides. We are committed to choosing the pro-Earth option, always.

Rubber
Our perfectly-weighted natural rubber is gathered from the hevea brasiliensis tree through ethical “tapping” (removing a milky sap from its bark). So, no trees are ever harmed in the production of our sneakers!

Bamboo
Bamboo is a strong, naturally antimicrobial fiber with high CO2 absorption; it's also the fastest-growing plant in the world. When bamboo is cut from the stalk, it’s capable of regenerating, just like grass from a field! This method protects the integrity of the plant and soil, and allows us to sustainably extract and form a fiber-rich pulp. Our bamboo is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and OEKO-TEX.

Sugarcane
Our sugarcane is sourced from Brazil and relies on rainwater to thrive (not traditional irrigation). It’s a fully-renewable, bio-based resource that grows quickly and naturally removes carbon from the atmosphere. Our sugarcane is certified by I’M GREEN.

Cork
Cork is a natural and sustainable material. To procure it, it is carefully scraped from the cork tree so that the tree remains intact and can form new bark. Cork ensures a healthy environment and all-day comfort for your feet.

Mamona Oil
Mamona is a plant-based and organic alternative to petroleum. We chose this natural oil in order to significantly decrease our use of virgin plastics and increase the natural content of our products, thus delivering a much greener foam.

Recycled Nylon
Our water-resistant recycled nylon is sourced from Global Recycled Standard-certified sources. Mechanically recycled nylon has a significantly lower carbon footprint than virgin nylon, with a 92% reduction in GHG emissions per kilogram, according to the Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s Higg Material Sustainability Index. Not only is it a hard-wearing material, resistant to wear-and-tear; it also washes easily and is quick to dry.

Recycled PET
We’ve made it our mission to significantly reduce our use of virgin plastics. The vast majority of plastics used in our upper, laces, labels and threads are derived from recycled plastic bottles. Recycling, reducing and repurposing is the only responsible way forward. Our recycled PET is certified by Global Recycled Standard.

Leather and Suede
Our leather and suede materials are sourced from Leather Working Group Gold-Rated suppliers who, farm to production, observe the highest standards of environmental and social responsibility. None of our materials are sourced from areas deforested for cattle-farming purposes, and 100% of the water used in the tanning process is recycled and reused.

Recycled and Recyclable Paper
In addition to utilizing single-box packaging (our shoe box doubles as a shipping box), we use 100% recycled & recyclable paper to cushion your new kicks on their journey to your front door. We color all of our packaging with soy-based ink, which doesn’t compromise the recyclability of the packaging materials. Oh, and our shoe filler (to keep your sneaks from getting squashed during transit) is biodegradable. Our recycled/recyclable paper is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Dye Chemicals
We wanted to ensure that no hazardous chemicals would be used in our manufacturing process (to make things as safe as possible for our workers). So, we chose Bluesign-certified chemicals to dye our materials. Working with Bluesign also helps our factory to function more efficiently, reduces our water usage and helps with pollution control.

65% of our products are 100% Vegan.

Our mission is to make things in a way that's better for people and the planet. We are constantly evaluating and evolving our processes to be greener than they were the day before.

Since 2020, we have increased our vegan shoe offerings from 43% to 65%.

Shop the Cariuma Collection here