Archive for the ‘Eco-Friendly Shoes’ Category

SoleRebels, an Ethiopian company that makes eco-friendly footwear, was started in 2004 by Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu and her family to create much needed jobs in her village of Zanabwork (near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia). After only 5 years of business, their success has been quite impressive!  SoleRebels now employs about 40 full-time and about 100 part-time workers in her village and sells their footwear in countries around the world as well as with online retailers including Amazon and Endless.com.

The manufacturing process at soleRebels has zero carbon output. They use organic cotton grown by local farmers, spun and loomed by local artisans. Other materials include recycled burlap and rubber from recycled tires. In addition to being eco-friendly, these handmade shoes are also very cute! They come in a wide range of styles and colors and their sturdy construction makes them the perfect “slip on and go” shoe that will last all Summer long.

My favorite shoe is the soleRebels Fauna Sandal ($34.95) at Endless.com.  This shoe features a leather leaf strap upper made with organic cotton beautifully detailed with contrast stitching and a sole made of recycled tire.  The tire treads can even be seen on the bottom!  Pictured below in blue, this sandal also comes in red, brown, and camo.