For the fashion-forward consumer, sustainability is not always synonymous with stylish; 'sustainable fashion' can conjure an image of burlap and Birkenstocks. Thankfully, a New Zealand designer has now launched a collection of eco-friendly footwear for conscious customers - and the shoes don't compromise on style.
YY Nation, a new sustainable shoe brand based in New Zealand's capital, has now launched its eco-friendly Legacy Footwear Collection, a range that includes the world's lowest carbon footprint sneaker - a feat that has been independently double-certified.
Across the US, the UK and Australia alone, an estimated 625 million pairs of shoes are discarded each year, parts of which take decades to decompose in landfills.
And while bare feet is probably the best option for the truly eco-conscious trendsetter, the Legacy Footwear Collection is still a pretty good place to start, said YY Nation's Wellington-based founding director Jeremy Bank.
"We all want to look good, feel good and do good for the planet," Bank told Newshub following the collection's launch on Tuesday.
"It's kind of funny, but the best way to have a low footprint is to wear no shoes - but that's not practical.
"A lot of people want to buy sustainable, but there's not that many cool, stylish options out there. We've tried to do that without compromising on the look of the shoe or the comfort or the durability."
For Bank, his sustainability journey began three-and-a-half years ago when he was vacationing in Maui, Hawaii, with his family. Walking along the beach with his then-nine-year-old daughter, Bank - who had frequented the island years earlier - was shocked to see the state of the once-pristine beaches.
"My daughter was picking up little blue flecks we thought were shells, but they were actually bits of plastic. The beach was just littered with waste. [I thought], why can't I do something about it?" he said.
"In this case, I really thought, 'something has to happen or what's it going to be like for my daughter's children and their children?'"
After launching a Kickstarter campaign last year to fund his vision, YY Nation successfully reached - and then quadrupled - its pledge target, crowdfunding more than NZ$80,985 from almost 500 like-minded consumers. Now, following three years of research and development, YY Nation's Nimbo shoe - made from bamboo and algae - has a carbon footprint of 5.45kg carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), which is three times fewer carbon emissions than conventional sneakers.
"We got the results back and at this time, it's the lowest carbon footprint shoe in the world which is really exciting," Bank said.
The entire collection has a carbon footprint ranging from 5.45kg CO2 emissions to 8.15kg CO2 emissions per shoe - in simple terms, that's 42 to 51 percent lower than the emissions generated by a standard sneaker, which comes in at a staggering 14kg CO2e.
All elements of a YY Nation shoe are designed to be reused and repurposed to minimise waste, Bank said, with the brand having a long-term goal of being 100 percent sustainable.
To create their cutting-edge combination of sustainable materials, the team first consulted with others in the field of sustainable fashion to further develop their ideas, a process which took "real trial and error". After about two-and-a-half years, they were satisfied with their solutions - materials including ethically sourced and locally grown merino wool, sustainably sourced bamboo, nylon mesh made from recycled plastic bottles, 'pineapple leather' made from the fibres of wasted pineapple leaves, sugarcane and algae.
"Every component of the Legacy Footwear Collection, from the soles to the laces to the packaging, is made with sustainable, natural or waste materials that would otherwise be landfill-bound," Bank said.
With every sugarcane sole, YY Nation clears 24 litres of water and cleans 1.4 cubic metres of air. The outsoles are also considered carbon negative, which is the brand's ultimate goal for next year.
After inevitable wear-and-tear, Bank recommends having the shoes restored or cleaned so they can be given a new home. YY Nation is also looking to repurpose its used products into other materials, such as utilising the "off-cuts" of the outsoles and other waste for eco-friendly flooring.
"Billions of pairs of shoes made out of petrochemical-based plastics don't break down. It takes decades, if not hundreds of years," Bank said. "A lot of our materials naturally break down over time."
He said for the fashion-forward consumer, little decisions to be more sustainable can make a significant impact over time.
"I think there's a lot of things, particularly in terms of the quality [of the products] we look at buying - the types of things that last really well or can be cleaned really easily. It's about durability. It's about looking for brands that are really looking at new innovative approaches in terms of materials and ways to improve their carbon footprint. The more popular those brands are, it will spur others on. We're seeing in New Zealand the vintage and recycled renaissance happening, used clothing," he told Newshub.
"There's all sorts of ways we can think about what we're doing. It's those little decisions we make that can make a big impact over time."
As of Tuesday, YY Nation has officially launched its e-commerce platform in Aotearoa and America after US consumers showed "real interest" during last year's Kickstarter campaign.
"We thought, 'why not?' Let's not only reveal YY Nation to New Zealand but let's go to the US market as well, where there's a lot of potential customers who would really love what we're doing. So that's exactly what we've done and we're getting great uptake to date."
Bank admitted while the brand is off to "a good start", 'good' is not good enough. While YY Nation is now at the cutting edge of sustainable footwear, he said the current range will be the "worst we'll ever make" in terms of carbon footprint.
"With today's launch, YY Nation is committing to a carbon negative future," Bank said.
"We're already working on new things, we can still do a lot better. That's the journey we're on - there's always ways we can improve. Watch this space."
YY Nation's Legacy Footwear Collection starts at $168 and is available online via the official website.
