Sustainable sneaker brand ACBC opens new store in London
Retail
ACBC shoes has opened a new store on London’s renowned Regent Street. The store is the third location to open outside of the sneaker brand's home country Italy, following openings in Amsterdam and Beijing.
The eco-friendly sneaker brand was founded in 2017 by Gio Giacobbe and Edoardo Iannuzzi. The brand name is an abbreviation for “anything can be changed” - a catchphrase that is firmly anchored in the values, vision and mission of the company. Ever since its founding, the brand follows the target of transforming the sneaker industry with a strong focus on Corporate Social Responsibility. Recently, the company has been valued at 37 million euros - with a forecasted growth of 22 percent in 2022. The founders are planning a listing on the Italian stock market in 2023.
Founded in 2017 with a vision of 2030
As founders Giacobbe and Edoardo describe, the brand “aims to reverse climate change through better business by empowering brands and people to make better, more conscious decisions for themselves as well as the planet”. With this goal in mind, ACBC has made it their mission to change the world, one product at a time. Their sneakers are compliant with an animal-free, bio-based production ethos and make use of recycled materials, ensuring a “green soul”.
Sustainability at every level
The company is the first Italian brand certified as B Corp, one of the strictest certifications measuring social and environmental performance, legal commitment and transparency. With ethical principles such as acting with integrity, respecting dignity and rights of every individual and encouraging employees to engage with community and sustainability initiatives, the company is leading by example. ACBC received several awards throughout the years, honouring their commitment to sustainability and innovation - among them the Green Carpet Award for the most sustainable shoe in 2019 and the Monte Carlo Fashion Week award for sustainable fashion in 2020. Despite being a relatively young company, they already scored noteworthy collaborations with well-known Italian fashion houses such as Missoni, the Armani line EA7, sustainable companies like Save the Duck and Italian sneaker brand Alexander Smith.
During the past five years, ACBC has brought forward innovations for outstanding production technologies. In addition, they are propelling the development of alternative materials: from a leather alternative derived from wood fibre and recycled rubber made from recycled wool, to fibres made from algae, hemp, corn, grapes and cork - ACBC makes sure to incorporate sustainable choices already in the design stages of a sneaker, because this is where up to four fifth of a products lifetime emissions are determined. After choosing materials, ACBC pays close attention to manufacturers, solely working with auditors that coincide with their beliefs. ACBC continues their commitment even in the post-consumer stage: worn ACBC sneakers can be returned in stores. The shoes are then sorted and shredded and begin a second life as raw material for playground installations.
ACBC has reduced the common carbon footprint of a shoe by 50 percent, with a total emission of 7.38 kilograms of CO2 compared to 14 kilograms of CO2 as the benchmark for a conventional non-leather sneaker. ACBC practices a data-driven approach to sustainability, with strict assessments that allow them to continuously monitor and improve their emissions. To ensure an encompassing approach, ACBC is considering every lifecycle stage of their sneakers, splitting up the emissions into the categories of raw material, production, general emissions, transportation and the end-of-life stage.