THE MATERIALS

ZERO HARMFUL CHEMICALS USED

The leather industry poses a serious threat to the health of those who work in tanneries. 90% of the workers in leather tanneries in Asia die before age 50 and suffer from tuberculosis during their lives. This is mainly due to Chromium, one of the most harmful existing chemicals, not only for the health of the shoemaker but footwear has a detrimental effect on the environment. Many shoe parts are made from oil derivatives and are the source of micro-plastics that pollute our grounds, oceans, air, water, and ultimately ending up on our plates. When trends fade, we discard shoes while putting an unbearable burden on Earth's ecosystems.  

A quote from Allbirds co-founder Tim Brown, said: “Outside of the fossil-fuel industry, the fashion industry is the largest contributor of carbon emissions into the environment. That's a real problem. Twenty-five billion pairs of shoes are made globally each year [and an estimated 300 million pairs are discarded]. Americans buy an average of seven to eight pairs of shoes per year, and it’s a category that’s paid lip service to the idea of sustainability. There’s still a disconnect. Consumers say they care about it, but when it comes to the purchase moment it doesn’t always impact the way people buy—but I think that’s starting to change."

WE ARE CHANGING IT!

 Right now, skilled lifelong shoemakers are creating our boots in sustainable workshops in Campo Bom, Brazil- where artisans truly love the work they do. We’re proud to say they maintain a high standard of ethics, pay their workers fairly, and most importantly, treat them like family.  We are empowering local industry, reducing transport distances and what’s even more important, we are avoiding the dangerous effects of Chromium on the shoemakers and also on the environment.

Boots Compatible with Nature

Using our Brazilian manufacturing partners’ expertise, we redesigned boots from the bottom up, making them compatible with nature. They are very committed to the development of sustainable and recyclable materials in the footwear industry and we are beyond thrilled to have them as part of our team. We have traveled the world searching for new materials. Years of research, tests and development filled with ups and downs, tears and joy.  The result of our quest are supernatural materials. Not only can we substitute synthetic materials but in many ways they are far better than plastic. We are using  plants: wood, sugarcane, rubber tree and our leather is farmed responsibly in Brazil and then vegetable dyed to craft our 100% eco-friendly Boots. 

Anatomy of an Ecological Kara Mac Boot

Why Not Vegan Leather?   Vegan Leather IS Plastic!

Most mainstream vegan leathers are largely made from polyurethane (PU) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which is not sustainable or even biodegradable. The only sustainable vegan leather comes from plants and is slowly being introduced into the fashion industry, however, only at very high end brands. It’s understandable that many people are drawn to vegan leather because they care about animal welfare, but most do not understand that it’s really just plastic made from petroleum. It’s a product that poisons workers involved in its production. Vegan leather will sit in a landfill for centuries and when it does start to degrade, it breaks down into harmful micro-plastics.

Choose Your Styles and Colors

Heel Covers

This is simply a sampling of the heel covers that will be available once our campaign is closed. We are still working on the final choices and as the campaign moves along, we will be sending you more details

Sizing and Measuring your Feet

-True to Size

-Available Sizes 5 - 11 1/2

-Medium Width