The Earth Shoe, the first shoe "ever to make a social statment" celebrates its 40th anniversary on Thursday.
With Earth Day just around the corner on April 22, some accessories and footwear brands are doing their share with new releases to help reduce waste and protect the environment.
The announcement with the biggest industry impact comes from athetlic footwear brand Puma, which is partnering with San Francisco-based design label, Fuseproject. The sportswear brand has introduced the Clever Little Bag created by Yves Behar, a combined shoe box and carrier bag that reduces waste and looks cool.
“By providing structure to a cardboard sheet, the bag uses 65% less cardboard than the standard shoe box, has no laminated printing, no tissue paper, takes up less space and weighs less in shipping, and replaces the plastic retail bag,” the designers say, adding that the “little bag is nonwoven which means less work and waste (it is stitched with heat) and can be reused.”
Catherine Malandrino has created two bags inspired by her two favorite cities, Paris and New York, with iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower or the Statue of Liberty printed onto them. The J’ai Deux Amours/Love of Two Cities totes at $25 retail are made from 95% recycled materials.
Eco-friendly shoebrand Melissa, which has previously collaborated with European designers such as Vivienne Westwood or Jean Paul Gaultier, has teamed up with the Council of Fashion Designers of America for a soon-to-be-released, U.S.-grown collaboration.
Christie’s has launched a series of auctions (running through May 6) benefiting charities working for the environment. The Green Auction: A Bid to Save the Earth, for instance, auctions off donations by the likes of Stella McCartney, Proenza Schouler, Nina Ricci, and Gucci as well as tickets for next year’s Vanity Fair Oscar afterparty.
The Earth Shoe—known today as Earth Footwear—is celebrating its 40th anniversary on Earth Day introducing an entirely biodegradable sole that decomposes 10 times fashion in the ground compared to an ordinary shoe.
