Like the Veja sneakers, the running shoe is made in Brazil in good working conditions. The brand works closely with all their factories, and assures the consumers of ethical practices within their factories.They have worked with the same facilities for many years, and have invested more money into Brazilian production as compared to average shoe brands who produce in Asia.
The outsole of the shoe consists of wild rubber, recycled rubber, and synthetic rubber. Part of the middle sole is made from natural materials including banana oil, sugar cane, and rice hull, a waste product from the food industry. The other part of the middle sole is made of soft plastic E.V.A (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) which has the same qualities as rubber. Compared to other plastics, it is more resistant to heat, cold and UV radiation, and E.V.A is produced without the addition of harmful chemicals, such as BPA, Chlorine or Phthalate. For the fabric at the top, Veja uses the innovative material Alveomesh, which is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles.
They have a strict chemical policy, the details of which they have transparently published on the website.
This line of shoes uses a lot of recycled materials, and the brand has set up a take-back and repair scheme for old Veja shoes which reflects their dedication to circularity.
While the brand is headquartered in Paris, all of the production is conducted local to the sourcing of the materials, in Brazil and Peru. This keeps the length of the chain as short as possible. They also keep air transport to a minimum of 2.2%, only using it for urgent shipments.
This particular line of shoes does not contain any animal materials.
An ecological running shoe is still hard to find. In fact, 99% of running shoes are made of plastic, 99% of which is petroleum (oil). Both are not renewable materials that cause damage to people and the environment. It took Veja four years of research to develop the first ecological running shoe, but the results are impressive.
Through a combination of innovative techniques, fabrics and combinations, Veja has managed to successfully launch their very first running shoe. Veja has found the perfect balance between using sustainable materials and optimizing your running performance. The shape of the shoe is inspired by the bone structure of the South American bird the condor, hence the name. The shoe has a biomimetic design, flexibility and lightness suitable for running.
The brand is very transparent in most aspects. They provide a zip folder of all their certificates – a rare thing to see that COSH! really commends. They also provide a map with all of their manufacturing and supplier facilities, and publish their chemical test results online.
Conclusion
Curious to buy the very first running shoe of Veja? Check out the points of sale on the map below!
