When you think about reducing your carbon footprint, quite a few things come to mind: bringing your own container to lunch to reduce waste, swapping out disposable items in your skin care routine and shopping for sustainable clothing. Changing your shoes didn’t seemed to be the logical first step — until now.
It was only a matter of time before Reformation, known for its sustainability and stunning pieces, stepped into the shoe space. The brand launched its new “Ref Shoes” category on Thursday with 11 vintage-inspired styles ranging from $128 to $218. It was a long time coming, but even Reformation founder and CEO Yael Aflalo admits it wasn’t easy.
The collection features sandals, flats and heels made using materials like chrome-free leather and jute, with a manufacturing process that saves an average of 52% on CO2 emissions, 70% water and 65% waste compared to other U.S. shoe brands. This was no easy feat given the many challenges that come with making sustainable clothing, especially shoes, but it was important to Reformation given that footwear contributes about one-fifth of the apparel industry’s negative impact on the environment.
“When it came to the footwear space, we were really surprised to see how much progress there’s left to be made and it was especially difficult to find factories that met our standards,” Alafo said. “We asked hard questions and challenged our suppliers to meet Reformation’s crazy high standards with the goal of impacting production practices and providing people with better alternatives.”
It appears all of that hard work paid off because the new collection is stunning, proving that you don’t have to sacrifice style for sustainability. The lineup features simple silhouettes paired with dainty details like braided laces, kitten heels and skinny straps. We’re especially loving this pair of green block-heel sandals, and we feel great knowing they’re good for the planet too.
“Shoes are the number one most requested item from our customers so it really made sense as the next step in our mission to bring sustainable fashion to everyone,” Alafo said. “We’re excited that we can now offer our customers more sustainable options from head to toe.”
We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite styles below. And, if you want more of our editor-sourced products and reviews, sign up for HuffPost’s sales and deals newsletter.
Take a look below:
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