Feelgood Style

I was hit with a nostalgic trip down memory lane when I opened up this pack of Nowali Moccasins. I had a couple pairs of these when I was a kid. I don’t know if they were actually Nowali’s or cheap imitations but I had these fun, warm and wonderful slipper sock moccasins as a kid. Now I am thrilled to have an adult size pair to warm my feet on cold nights (and days). Read the rest of this entry »

The three design concepts from Terra Plana are 21st Century Artisan, Recycled and Barefoot. In summary, the collections exude an understanding of classic shoe making, but with a passion for modern techniques and materials.

The company makes many different types of shoes, but the Terra Plana collection is the most traditional “green” and design students are paying close attention. Features to expect: Read the rest of this entry »

Birki Schuh GmbH was founded in 1993 by Stephan Birkenstock. His General Manager title remains for the Birki’s brand today. His famous cork-latex footbed feature was highlighted from the beginning. So were his anatomically molded footbeds.

The German Birki’s brand offers a large vegan all-age shoe collection that ranges from cork sandals to water-friendly clogs, and lots in between. Those special footbeds are made of cork, ALPRO®-cell or ALPRO®-foam, which are terrific shock absorbing materials. Read the rest of this entry »

It was 1997 when Splaff Flopps joined the green wave, — and in more ways than one! El Presidente Cliff Drill and El Ambassador Craig Wallace got creative in a garage. Their materials and tools were a tire, a bike tube, and a shoe knife. Indeed they had a vision. The goal was to make durable, comfortable and reasonably-priced sandals from recycled materials. Read the rest of this entry »

Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu founded the soleRebels brand in 2004 with her husband and brother to help create jobs in Zenabwork, Ethiopia. At the time there were hardly any jobs in the community. But when the family decided to redesign traditional Ethiopian shoes made from recycled tires, expansion mode kicked in and employees were hired. Read the rest of this entry »

Last year we shared our admiration for Brazilian shoe maker Melissa and the evolution of their footwear designs and this year their recycled plastic shoes never looked so good!

“The environmentally sensitive sandal is ethically made in Brazil in a closed loop system so there is no waste. The Gladiator is made from recycled MEFLEX plastic and provides amazing comfort for your battle weary feet.” Read the rest of this entry »

Terra Plana is an interesting blend of what many would call ethical footwear.

The Terra Plana Ethical Policy states:

Inspired by ecological survival, Terra Plana believes in a variety of non-generic products and sustainable strategies. Guided by life cycle analysis, Terra Plana aims towards publishing accurate life cycle matrices for every product we produce. Reparability, lightness, anatomic design, and durability are all staples of sustainable shoe making. We at Terra Plana regularly re-evaluate what we can do to minimize waste and toxin use and maximize product use and love

Terra Plana has received international acclaim for their craftsmanship in publications like Vouge Italia (shown above) and also here on Feel Good Style in“Reason number one not to go barefoot this summer” we shared that: Read the rest of this entry »

These vegan Do-Ni Nobilia ballerinas are enchanted magic slippers that are :

designed by two seasoned vegetarian shoe designers.

fair-trade, handmade in Portugal by artisans

constructed of water-based glues, French ribbons and low-solvent Italian pleather, recycled insole boards.

created for comfort with an elasticized band at the edges, padded insole for a perfect form-fit.

Do-Ni saves on brick ad mortar retail costs and virtually sells direct, then donates to charities you choose like Best Friends Animal Society, Medicines Global, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and 100% of proceeds are donated to participating non-profit organizations. Read the rest of this entry »

A few weeks ago, while engaged in my daily blog perusal, I came across these shoes on ecofabulous. I think I may have started to drool. I wished that some day, should the shoe gods smile upon me, I would get to try them on, perhaps on my next trip to one of the coasts. Imagine my surprise and delight, then, when I found them at Shu Global Footwear, just up the road in St. Paul, MN! Obviously, I had to try them on (and a few other pairs from the line for good measure).

Before I talk about my shopping trip, I should let you know a bit about why these shoes, made by El Naturalista, are indeed eco-fabulous. Although they use leather, which will not impress vegans, the company engages in the highest standards of pro-environment business practices. They use natural materials and dyes, including many that are biodegradable and recycled/recyclable. They use the least amount of chemicals possible to treat the leather, and on top of all of that, they fund the building of schools and other resources for children in Peru.

And then there’s the whole part about how they feel on your feet.

Read the rest of this entry »

Botas Dacca Boots made out of recycled plastic bags, are hot to trot.

They are made exclusively by a noted Chilean industrial design student named Camila Labra. The interiors are constructed to be comfortable and soft with a natural piqué and the green highlight is that the exteriors are made mostly of recycled plastic bags. Read the rest of this entry »