I wanted to avoid buying shoes from sweatshop conditions… but finding a socially responsible running shoe is really, really difficult.
So as I was training for my first marathon I hoped to find a good pair of Fair Trade running shoes. I Googled to find some options. I do not necessarily endorse these, but they are provided to help with your personal search in ecoconscious friendly athletic shoes and/or Fair Trade Athletic Footwear.
- Saucony Originals Men’s Bullet Vegan Running Shoe: Strap on this performance running shoe from Saucony for a run like no other. Made with vegan materials, the Bullet is lightweight and breathable for comfort, while the low-profile design looks retro-cool.
- Jambu Women’s Bianca Sneaker: They use 100% recycled, recyclable and re-usable packaging and their outsoles are made with partially recycled rubber. In this small way, they hope to preserve the great outdoors for future generations
- Hersey Custom Shoe. This is a company based in Maine. According to their website they were rated the #1 Running shoe in the world by Runners World Magazine. It appears to be very expensive, but the shoes also appear to be highly rated.
- Vegan Sneakers
- Pangea / Vegan Store
- Vegan Essentials
- Pristine Planet Organic Sneakers
- An old Runners World Forum.
- How to select fair trade running shoes.
What are your thoughts about Fair Trade running shoes? What are your experiences with them if you have purchased them? Thanks for your help!
Further resources about Fair Trade Programs can be found below:
