In anticipation of your mid-summer fun, Rubicon® has gathered a few of the most sustainable sandal brands, all of which are certified B Corporations, to let you enjoy the hot weather in (eco-friendly) style.
Here are four sustainable sandals for an eco-conscious closet:
Nisolo: Nashville, Tennessee
Nisolo is a sandal brand dedicated to taking on the carbon emissions and waste of the fashion industry. As a certified B Corp, the company’s commitment to sustainability is more than just talk. It has made a commitment to reduce and offset 100 percent of their carbon emissions, with the goal of becoming carbon neutral.
It also helps that their sandals are quite fashionable, with eye-catching Huarache and slip-on sandals in various colors for men and women. They even offer other shoes and accessories such as low top sneakers, Loreto messenger bags, and Brewer wallets made from sustainable and ethically sourced leather.
Nisolo highlights a “circular fashion” approach, which means they take environmental impact into account at every stage of the process. From their sourcing of product materials to the end lifecycle of products post consumer use, Nisolo has transformed their supply chain to meet the highest standard of environmental responsibility in their industry.
They even have what they call the “Ethical Marketplace,” which is a specific roster of 20 of their favorite brands that contribute to sustainable and ethical living. If you’re looking for a source of good quality and sustainable shoes, sandals, and other accessories this summer, Nisolo is a great choice.
TIDAL New York: Brooklyn, New York
TIDAL New York is another eco-conscious footwear brand and certified B Corp that seamlessly pairs comfort and sustainability. TIDAL is best known for its flip flops, which are made with renewable soles (with a drive towards making the entire product sustainable). While TIDAL solely offers flip flops as opposed to a wider range of shoes and sandals, its products are all fairly affordable.
Not only are their flip flops ethically made in New York with materials sourced from the US, they are also insanely comfortable. TIDAL uses thicker soles and comfortable straps that help their flip flops last much longer than your average sandal. This further reduces their carbon footprint by extending the amount of time you can use the product before needing to purchase a new one.
TIDAL became B Corp certified in 2021, and their soles became verified as USDA Biopreferred certified products. This means that they use waste as the renewable ingredient in their soles. TIDAL also uses digital printing instead of screen printing to create their flip flops, saving up to 55 percent of their printing energy usage. The next time you’re looking for a simple flip flop for the pool or the beach, skip the disposable choice and settle on something a little more sustainable.
Listen to TIDAL co-founder, Tim Gibb on Rubicon’s Town Haul Podcast.
Indosole: San Francisco, California
When you think about what we waste in this world, tires aren’t usually the first thing that comes to mind. But tires are actually a major waste contributor, with waste tires filling up stockyards and illegal dumping sites all over the world. This is especially dangerous in tropical countries where they can become breeding grounds for disease-spreading mosquitoes.
When Indosole founder Kyle Parsons visited Bali for the first time in 2004, he purchased a pair of sandals made from motorbike tires and first learned about the dangers of tire waste. This prompted him to create Indosole in an effort to tackle tire waste and support the economy of the Indonesian people who inspired it.
Indosole is a certified B Corp that is combating tire waste by using ethically sourced Indonesian rubber to create waterproof sandals for everyday travels and adventures. Their cruelty-free footwear is dyed with natural dyes, and they even include contoured footbeds for extra ergonomic support. They sell an assortment of men’s and women’s flip flops, slide sandals, and cross sandals in a range of colors from black, to sea salt, to soil light. Their footwear stands out mostly for its durability, so an Indosole sandal is a great choice for footwear that lasts.
Listen to Indosole’s Kyle Parsons on Rubicon’s Town Haul Podcast.
OluKai: Irvine, California
The last sustainable sandal brand on our list embraces the beach theme by creating footwear built for the ocean lifestyle. OluKai is inspired by the Hawaiian words that mean “comfortable ocean,” perfectly summing up the feeling of their eco-friendly footwear. Their use of Gold Certified tanneries for their leather products and their use of sustainable materials earned them their B Corp certification in 2014.
OluKai offers a variety of men’s and women’s sandals, shoes, boots, and slippers made from full-grain leather and water-resistant microfibers. They offer high-quality leather sandals that are suitable for the beach alongside waterproof rubber sandals that you can wear without fear of getting them wet.
In keeping with their love for Hawaiian culture and the beauty and quality of the ocean, a portion of all their proceeds goes directly to support the Ama OluKai Foundation. This foundation works with Hawaiian organizations to preserve Hawaiian culture, serve the community, and defend the land and the ocean. If you’re looking for high-quality sustainable sandals with styles that will stand out, OluKai sandals will certainly draw the eye.
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Editor’s Note: References made to businesses/companies in this post are not meant to convey affiliation with or endorsement of Rubicon by those companies in any way.
Amy Koonin Taylor is Marketing Content and Media Manager at Rubicon. To stay ahead of Rubicon’s announcements of new partnerships and collaborations around the world, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, or contact us today.
