Everlane’s latest project — shortly after pledging to go virgin-plastic free — is a super sustainable sneaker. But it’s not just a measly sneaker. As Michael Preysman, Everlane’s CEO told GQ, it’s “a whole concept and idea.” Tread — as the new sneaker brand is called — lives in another section on the brand’s website.
For those concerned primarily with aesthetics, this shoe is a nice slightly-but-not-too-chunky normcore, unisex sneaker. It comes in a range of neutrals plus muted shades of yellow and pink. But this shoe and the hype around it are less about how it looks and more about how it’s made. Everlane took two years to make this sneaker and they want you to know what goes into it.
It’s not a vegan sneaker — it uses real leather that comes from a gold-certified tannery. They used a blend of natural and recycled rubber that’s almost all not made with virgin plastic (many non-leather sneakers are made of entirely new plastic or petroleum-byproducts, so this is a big deal). Any emissions used to create it were offset with a partnership with NativeEnergy. But Everlane knows that the most sustainable pair of shoes are the ones you already own, so the Tread is built to last (which may explain why they use real leather). Hopefully, once you buy these (for under $100), you may not need to buy another sneaker ever.
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