Vivo Barefoot

Vivo Barefoot realizes this commitment to ethical practices holistically in the corporate sector through detailed diversity, equity, and inclusion policy, and anti-bribery, anti-corruption measures, along with a detailed code of conduct and a best practice tool for business accountability. The company has set firm frameworks of the manner in which ethical conduct should be done: continuous monitoring, transparent reporting, and proactive engagement of all stakeholders, including suppliers and third-party partners

Vivobarefoot prides itself on being a member of the B Corp™ family, indicating that it meets high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency and only working with factories and suppliers that uphold the highest standards of integrity, ensuring adherence to a strict code of conduct and standards governed by the International Labour Organization (ILO)​.

The company does mention visiting its suppliers regularly. Yet, the absence of details regarding the frequency of these visits leaves questions about the depth and effectiveness of its oversight. 

If Vivo Barefoot were to be carrying out regular audits, increase transparency with their supply chain management, and improve the training of employees and partners with these policies, then their contribution to the standards of ethics in the footwear industry may potentially be amplified.

Vivo Barefoot is actively engaging in environmental sustainability efforts by incorporating 24.1% recycled polymers into their products, which may be deemed eco-friendlier. They’ve also used bio-based materials in footwear before and still continue to use a little bit of algae in their Ultra style. This choice underlines a significant, though partial, commitment to eco-friendlier production. 

This has led them to putting out a statement of making more responsible decisions in materials and towards sustainable initiatives for lowering their impact. They have in place materiality risk assessment for helping them proactive identification and mitigating steps in relation to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks, which primarily focuses on waste reduction, efficient management of chemicals, availability of water resources, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The total % of materials used in their 8 key styles are transparently shared. However, they currently don’t use any regenerative materials in their footwear and there’s a lack of evidence suggesting that the brand actively avoids the use of chromium and other harmful chemicals typically used in the leather tanning process. 

The brand does use some recycled packaging, but hasn’t completely eliminated plastic packaging yet. They also do not provide any detailed information about shipping methods. 

At the moment, none of their products are able to be fully recycled or composted. In the future, their aim is to create products that are made with closed loop manufacturing processes. Shoes that create no waste, are free from any toxic substances and have no adverse impact on the environment.

They are conscious about which materials they use, incorporating recycled materials. But mixing organic materials with recycled plastic also makes it more difficult to recycle the shoe after use… 

The Vivo Barefoot Take Back Programme encourages people to send in their old Vivos for refurbishment and resale. This way the shoes have a second chance of being worn, or are at least properly taken care of, until a suitable end-of-life-method is found. 

Vivo barefoot HQ is based in the UK, with additional offices in Ethiopia and Portugal. The brand’s main production lines are in the process of moving from China to Vietnam. Where possible, they appear to make sure that the materials selected are sourced close to the shoe factory in order to reduce unnecessary transport and emissions.

Unfortunately, Vivo Barefoot’s specific transport methods are not directly mentioned, which makes a huge difference on their footprint regardless of the length of the chain.

Vivo Barefoot avoids using fur, exotic animal skins, and hairs, showing a commitment to certain animal welfare standards. However, it still uses leather and wool in its products.

Their approach to using animal materials is built on three principles: the material must be a by-product of the meat industry, sourced from small-scale, independent farmers to ensure a lighter environmental touch, and come from animals that have had the freedom to roam in natural environments. Their Wild Hide leather, for example, comes from small-scale farms in Ethiopia, where cattle are allowed to roam freely. This leather is processed at the Pittards tannery, which has been recognized for upholding high standards in sourcing and quality. This detailed approach demonstrates Vivo Barefoot’s commitment to responsible sourcing and minimizing their environmental impact, while acknowledging the challenges of using animal products.

Making a shoe last a long time is a fundamental part of sustainable shoe making. Vivo Barefoot strive to only make products that you love to wear every day. Their shoe have a biomimetic design, flexibility and lightness to ensure optimal performance. 

Their focus on minimalistic aesthetics, coupled with high-quality, mindfully selected materials, promotes longevity and minimizes the environmental impact.

Vivo Barefoot emphasizes transparency in its sustainability efforts, openly sharing their journey towards ethical sourcing and environmental stewardship on their website.

Vivo Barefoot owns up to not having visibility of their whole value chain. But they say they’re working hard to fix this. They’ve got 5 tiers of partners, from finished product manufacturers (tier 1) all the way down to raw material (farm) level (tier 5). They’ve currently got 100% visibility over tier 1 and 2 partners, so the focus now is on tiers 3 to 5. Furthermore, they’re working collaboratively with partners to do this. Everything they do know is published on their value chain map, available on their website, which will continue to be updated.