Indosole: colorful flip-flops made from recycled materials

Indosole has been a member of B‑corp since 2014. This means the brand is audited triennially by B corporation. B‑corp helps companies integrate sustainable and ethical choices into their operations.

Indosole is headquartered in the United States. The shoes are produced in Indonesia. A special feature of Indosole’s production process is that no fuel (or animal) powered machines are used. This means that all shoes are made by hand in an artisanal manner.

Unfortunately, Indosole provides little information about the working conditions in which this process takes place. The lack of transparency makes it difficult to determine how ethical the production is.

Finally, the brand is also a member of 1% for the planet. This means that they donate a portion of their sales to charities dedicated to the planet.

Indosole’s flip flops are made largely from recycled materials. The brand developed a process to recycle car tires. The recycled rubber is then transformed into the bottom sole of your flip flop. The high-quality material ensures that your flip flop will not wear out quickly.

Natural rubber is also used in the flip flops. This layer makes the shoes more comfortable to wear. The rubber is mined ethically in Indonesia. Indosole gives their flip-flops fun colors with natural dyes so there is no need to use harmful chemicals.

The top layer of the footbed is made of EVA rubber. This is a synthetic rubber that maintains an ergonomic shape. This ensures that the slippers fit perfectly. This material is also colored with natural dyes.

The straps of the flip flop are made of nylon. This is a synthetic material used mainly for its strength. Indosole says it has developed a way to color this material with natural dyes so that no chemicals and less water are used. Due to lack of information, COSH! cannot verify how sustainable this material actually is.

Finally, in their summer collection of 2022, Indosole has developed a rubber sole made from old shoe soles. By recycling the rubber sole of sneakers into new materials, the brand can thus market a more circular collection.

Indosole wants to offer a solution to the waste problem caused by car tires with their flip-flops. In Indonesia and Singapore, among other places, there are huge piles of waste tires. This causes fires in which toxic gasses are released. Also, such dumps are often a breeding ground for mosquitoes, spreading diseases such as the dengue virus. Indosole is taking this waste circularly by recycling it into shoe soles.

In the 2022 summer collection, the brand is going one step further. To work circularly, Indosole is making shoe soles out of old sneaker soles. Under the name “Lost Soles,” the brand is launching a circular collection.

To be truly circular, however, it is important that the flip-flops themselves are recyclable after use. It is not clear if this is the case with Indosole. Because the brand mixes different materials, such as synthetic rubber and natural rubber, it does not look like the flip-flops are easily recyclable.

All materials used in Indosole slippers are sourced from Indonesia. The production of the shoes also takes place in Indonesia. By producing locally, the brand aims to reduce its supply chain. However, the products still have to travel a long distance to be sold in Europe.

Indosole does not use materials of animal origin in their products. So the brand is completely vegan and animal-friendly! In doing so, they guarantee that no animals are used in production, for example for powering machines.

Indosole flip-flops can be recognized by their typically colorful designs with black soles. In the ‘Lost Sole’ collection, you can choose between a beige, orange or red sole. With molded footbeds, the flip-flops are ergonomic, as they fit any foot better.

Indosole gives high priority to the durability of the flip-flops. Every material is tested for quality and strength. Thus, the brand ensures that you can enjoy your purchase longer. Moreover, the brand also offers a one-year warranty on all products.

Indosole still has some way to go in terms of transparency. The brand shares little information about their production processes and locations. As a result, COSH! cannot assess whether production takes place in fair and safe working conditions.