Vivobarefoot aims to drive change with a renewed focus on hero products

Vivobarefoot is declaring “our best is not good enough” in a call to action to the rest of the footwear industry to review and improve their product designs and value chains to better protect people and the planet.

In a stand against ever-expanding product catalogues within the footwear industry, Vivobarefoot is launching a renewed and improved footwear collection for spring/summer 2021, with its hero products featuring less materials and shorter supply chains in a move to further reduce the brand’s impact on the environment.

Vivobarefoot chief design officer and co-founder Asher Clark, said in a statement: “The industry focuses on shoes made with sustainable materials as the finish line. For the sake of human and planetary health this has to change. Our focus is on producing perfect footwear which is regenerative to feet, human movement and planetary health – that’s the real challenge!”

The minimalist footwear company explains that its Heroes line, including the Primus Lite III and Geo Racer II for adults and kids, will include reduced leather waste, collar lining and footbeds made from wild hide leather, lining mesh made from recycled PET, virgin nylon and polyester updated to 100 percent organic cotton and insoles made from pre-consumer recycled waste.

Vivobarefoot’s director of sustainability, Emma Foster-Geering added: “In 2019 we brought the creation of all new products to a halt to totally overhaul our design approach. We are committed to and working towards never bringing anything to market that does not meet our regenerative sustainability goals.

“The compounding impact of ‘the bottom of the iceberg’, that being globalised supply chains making unsustainable products, is no longer allowed in our business, nor should it be in the industry at all.”

Vivobarefoot pushes forward with its sustainable vision for the footwear industry

The shoe industry continues to focus solely on growth, rarely reviewing the impact their current product ranges are having on the environment, and often introduces new products to drive an often ‘greenwashing’ led message and this “protectionist attitude is damaging our planet,” states Vivobarefoot.

For this reason, Vivobarefoot explains that it needs to take a stand, and that is why it is prioritising the de-growth of the business model for products and processes that aren’t good enough to take forward into the future.

As part of their regenerative ambitions, Vivobarefoot are looking to work with value chain partners who provide more sustainable materials and are committed to their regenerative journey.

Currently, all Vivobarefoot footwear is produced using sustainably sourced natural, bio and recycled materials, and it adds that the renewed focus to improve its hero products is a key step in their journey to “taking their footwear from good, to more sustainable and ultimately to fully regenerative for human foot health and the planet”.

Vivobarefoot is also tracking their progress by launching the VMatrix, a design tool for regenerative footwear, and have used their B Corp principles to track the impact their footwear is having from design, all the way to footwear end of life. The footwear company scored a 98.8 on its official B Corporation certification.

The goal it adds is to create “minimal footwear with maximum impact” that is better for people, their feet and the planet.

Last year the footwear brand launched the world’s first recondition footwear service ReVivo, an initiative that sees worn and returned Vivobarefoot footwear revived, reconditioned, keeping shoes on feet and away from landfill.

Vivobarefoot also launched the Livebarefoot Foundation, an in-house impact hub, catalysing research, advocacy and enterprise-based solutions for environmental and social problems.

The full range of Vivobarefoot’s Heroes for adults and kids is Primus Lite III, Tracker II FG, Geo Court II, Geo Racer II, Primus Lite III All Weather, Magna FG, Magna Trail II FG, Primus Trail II FG, Primus Trail II FG All Weather, Fulham Rubber II, Primus Bootie II All Weather, Primus Trail II and Primus Sport II. Prices range from 115 - 190 pounds.

Images: courtesy of Vivobarefoot