If you know me, you are probably familiar with the Sperry shoes I wear nearly every day. They became my go-to in high school and have been with me ever since. The black canvas has faded to become patchy, and the white soles are covered in irreparable scuff marks, but I still wear them religiously. As the inside became worn down and I feared a potential hole in the canvas, I reluctantly began researching replacements.
My criteria did not seem extreme. I wanted a casual sneaker-style shoe that was sustainably made and reasonably priced. Unfortunately, initial searches did not have much luck. Everything was either insanely expensive, undeniably ugly, or both. After I was about to give up, I found Cariuma. Cariuma has reasonably priced, cute shoes that appear to be more sustainable and ethically made when compared to its competitors. I chose a pair of grey, canvas sneakers. They were similar to my Sperrys but refreshingly light in color. Although I don’t usually make purchases without a few weeks of careful consideration, I immediately hit checkout because these shoes seemed like a saving grace after weeks of failed research.
After a few days, I got a notification from Cariuma that my shoes had arrived at Stevens. A few days after that, Stevens mailroom had sorted the package and emailed me to retrieve it. I practically ran to Howe, so excited to have new shoes that I could be proud of in terms of ethics and sustainable practices. After getting the box unpacked, I slid the shoes on and my smile instantly flipped. They seemed stiff beyond what is expected of new shoes. Although I had been wearing overly worn-out shoes for many months, there was clearly something not right about these. After taking a single step, my foot nearly flew out of the shoe. No matter how tight I tied the laces, they were just not fitting correctly. Apparently, the Cariumas were not the savior that I had thought they were.
After returning the shoes, I started the search again. This time, I also accepted the possibility that my ideal shoes might not be perfectly sustainable, but would just be a step up from typical company practices. Still no luck. I gave up for quite a few months until I recently took up the search again. This new attempt was prompted by the realization that the Sperrys will not last much longer and if I don’t replace them soon I will be forced to find an emergency replacement once they are no longer wearable. Being forced to buy a pair quickly could result in shoes that are made with unimaginably harmful practices.
Anyway, I started looking at shoes that are fairly popular among the youth and tried to find the most sustainable option. It turns out, those would be Vans. According to Good on You, Vans monitors its water use, uses some eco-friendly materials, and has some supply chain tracking. These practices have earned them a ranking of ‘it’s a start’ which is right in the middle of the ranking chart. The Vans have not arrived, but I am optimistic that they will be better than my experience with Cariumas.
Although it sounds like I just talked about shoes for 500 words, which I did, the real message is that being sustainable can take some time, patience, and the occasional failure. Technically making returns, like I did with the Cariumas, is not really sustainable because some companies will throw out old returns. I would like to believe Cariuma does not participate in this behavior since they make a point of being a sustainable company. Even though Vans might not be the most sustainable shoe in the world, I tried my best to make a choice that does minimal damage to the environment. After all, we can only do our best and hope that others follow. The fate of the climate crisis most definitely is not solely based on my choice of shoes, but my actions can help motivate bigger change.
Be First to Comment