We all know the arguments about Global Warming and the Environment by now. The question is - what do we all do about it?
Here at Softwalker we've decided to look at everything we are doing as a company to see how we can reduce our footprint - and that is a continuous ongoing process . But we also need to give our customers the chance to do their bit as well.
As one of the last companies making footwear here in the UK we already have the lowest transport footprint of any shoemaker (everyone else's stuff is made halfway round the world - it's travelled 5000 miles before you try it on your feet!).
But we have some fantastic new ideas to produce genuinely environmentally friendly footwear- and they look good enough so everyone will want to buy them.. We've designed our products for young fashionable people who just want to make that choice and do their bit (not just the committed Eco-warriors).
Hempathy is our range of Hemp based shoes and sandals. Great casual looking summery footwear with some pretty remarkable health benefits.
Hemp is the original textile. Samples of Hemp fabric have been found dating back to 8000BC (so it's been around a bit). Hemp is the stuff that ropes and sails were made out of - it used to be grown all around Britain - In fact it was so important that when we were at war in Henry VIII’s time it was decreed that everyone had to grow some hemp. Hemp was overtaken by cotton as the main textile material, but because of it's environmental benefits it's making a comeback.
Hemp can be grown without herbicides, fungicides or pesticides. Almost half of all agricultural chemicals used in the US are used on cotton! It also produces more fibre per acre than cotton and generates more oxygen into the atmosphere. Our Hemp here at Softwalker is grown in Europe rather than the common Chinese sources.
Hemp is also part of the Cannabis plant family - and No you can't smoke it!
During the testing of our Hemp shoes and sandals we found the Hemp footbeds have a positive effect on the foot. The fabric while coarse to the hand feels comfortable on the foot. The Hemp takes away moisture from the base of the foot and has a gentle exfoliating effect.
We have a range in development of ladies sandals and shoes based on recycled denim.(Men's shoes are coming soon!) The Kalahari Duo sandal is already out and available to buy Now.
Denim is tough hard wearing material, great for footwear - and it's already out there - if everybody recycled one item of clothing per year the amount of processing water alone saved would fill a UK reservoir.
We have three sources
You. You can send your jeans directly to us and we'll make YOUR jeans into YOUR sandals. Go to our sister website www.recycleyourjeans.com and get recycling.
Charity shop stock. We buy up redundant charity shop stock and make it into off-the-shelf recycled sandals that you can buy here online. So we benefit the charities as well as saving the planet - no-brainer really!
Surplus, rejects and discontinued stock. For those who don't want pre-worn material we have supplies of reject and mis-made jeans that come direct from the clothing importers. These are products that don't have a market or are faulty and would otherwise be dumped.
