Veja shoes at Asphaltgold
Instead of trying to convince everybody, we start with ourselves. Under this claim Veja produces since 2005 fashionable sneakers with one goal: to make the manufacture, components and production chains of the iconic shoe more sustainable. The plan worked: In the meantime, Veja has become one of the most popular sneaker brands worldwide - with stylish colorways for everyday outfits. Want to get into it? Then find the best Veja sneakers for men and women in the Asphaltgold online store.
French idea, Brazilian know-how: The Sneaker Story of Veja
A bro-mance with success: In the early 2000s, the two buddies from France Sébastien Kopp and François-Ghislain Morillion dealt with global consumer behavior. The Frenchmen's insight: We have to change something. The manufacture of products must become more sustainable, and working conditions must be fair. So Kopp and Morillion took on this task themselves: As true 90s kids, they decided to rethink the legendary sneaker - after all, it is "the most symbolic object of our generation."
Inspired by the Fairtrade Mindset, the journey began: What materials does a sneaker consist of? How can the components be sourced in an environmentally friendly way? And how can the manufacturing process be made sustainable? These questions led the two Frenchmen to Brazil. There they find all the raw materials a stylish shoe needs - natural rubber for the sole, organic cotton for the canvas upper, production facilities with regulated wages and working hours. The first Veja sneaker dropped in 2005. The name is the brand's sustainability mission statement. Because "veja" means "look" in Portuguese: Pay attention to the environment, pay attention to your behavior.
How to: Sustainable sneakers - materials from Veja
For Veja shoes, sustainable raw materials are the essentials of all. A key element of the sneaker brand is natural rubber: the material is extracted from rubber trees in the Amazon without having to cut them down - which protects the rainforest. Organic cotton is also used in Veja sneakers, which is grown directly for the brand. This way, the farmers already know how much they earn from the crop before planting it. For the leather sneakers, Veja makes sure not to use any harmful substances in the tanning process.
A special innovation from Veja is the B-Mesh: recycled plastic bottles are used here to produce breathable polyester - which becomes an absolute eye-catcher as a sneaker upper. Keyword design: The colorways of Veja often show themselves in simple and stylish variants. The base is usually formed by bright upper materials. Thus, the kicks fit the most diverse outfits and have a guaranteed daily driver potential.
But how does Veja keep its retail prices with the more elaborate production? The trick: the brand does without advertising. Normally, ads and communications make up 70 percent of a sneaker's price. Instead, Veja uses this money for the sneaker itself to maintain its sustainability standards - for materials, production processes and working conditions.