London-based shoe company Vivobarefoot has been awarded B Corp certification and plans to use the accreditation to help show that there is a better way for businesses to operate and, as a result, demand change amongst the footwear industry.
Companies that are B Corporation certified are for-profit companies that meet the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
Vivobarefoot was given a score of 98.8 by Certified B Corporation, which puts them alongside brands such as Veja (84.2), Allbirds (89.4), and Toms (96.3). B Corp certification guarantees that a business is measuring its environmental and social impact and B Corps commit to transparency by publishing their score online.
Founded in 2012 by Galahad Clark, a seventh generation descendant of the Clark Shoes company, and his cousin Asher Clark, every Vivobarefoot shoe features a patented, ultra-thin, puncture-resistant sole that protects the foot and allows maximum sensory feedback.
The company’s long-term aim is to make the most sustainable shoes on the planet and it has already pioneered shoes made of repurposed algae (Ultra Bloom), and another Eco range made of 50% recycled plastic with 17 recycled bottles per pair.
In July, the company revealed plans to programme that reconditions its worn or returned shoes in a bid to eliminate the brand’s shoes-to-landfill ratio. It claims ReVivo is the world’s first footwear re-commerce site.
“Our industry is full of corporate greenwashing and needs to be radically redefined. Footwear brands across the world are too focused on unrealistic profit lines and doing what they think is as little harm as possible at the same time. We believe there is a better way to operate a business,” explains CEO Galahad Clark.
“Making more sustainable shoes out of more sustainable materials to minimize negative impact isn’t going to cut it, especially when so many of these shoes have no end-of-life purpose and will end up in a landfill. That’s why our starting point isn’t shoemaking at all: It is bare-foot-wear; scientifically proven to regenerate and restore our physical health and our constant development of new manufacturing processes and materials, we believe, can help us become regenerative, not sustainable.
“Whilst we have a serious amount of work still to do to get there, we know that this is an important step on the journey.”
To support this, Vivobarefoot will also be launching a new 3D shoe-printing service in 2021, allowing consumers to purchase shoes that are made-to-order and bespoke to them, again reducing the number of shoes which need to be produced.
#3DShoes #3DPrintedShoes #3DPrinted
Original Article: https://www.just-style.com/news/vivobarefoot-is-now-a-certified-b-corporation_id139556.aspx
