Shoes are bad for the environment. I know that is a bit of a
blanket statement but it is unfortunately true in most cases. The rubber used
in the soles is made from petroleum and can off gas as you walk or run. The
Leather is usually tanned with chromium that is just terrible. Shoes wear out
fast and you can't really do anything with them afterward. When you are trying
not to have a huge carbon footprint shoes can make that difficult. There is the
option of buying used, but…yuck.
I set out to find the greenest shoes I could wear all the
time. After a bit of googling I came across the Green
Silence by Brooks. The Green
Silence offers some really cool green features:
- Biodegradable mid soles
- Made from 75% post-consumer recycled materials
- Packaged in 100% post-consumer recycled materials
- Water based glues used in manufacturing
- All dyes are non-toxic
- Laces are made from 100% post-consumer recycled materials
Not a bad combination of traits for going green.
After getting fit for a pair (they do run about half a size
larger: if you wear a 10 you'll need a 10.5) I ordered a pair from the website.
A few days later they showed up and on they went. I can say that they are
incredibly light shoes (less than 7 ounces/200 grams). After wearing them all
week I can also say they are incredibly comfortable. They are a bit strange
looking but are great conversation starters. So what is the downside? Brooks is
no longer making them. They still have some in stock so it isn't a bad idea to
pick up a pair or two before they are gone.
I haven't ran in them yet but as a green thing to put on
your foot I highly recommend them.
5 out of 5
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