More circularity in the shoe sector – 14 brands join Fashion for Good

Under the motto “Closing the Footwear Loop”, 14 fashion and shoe companies of the global sustainability initiative Fashion for Good.

The aim of the joint project is to convert the currently linear “take-make-dispose” model of the shoe industry into a circulatory model and thus promote innovations along the entire value chain.

German companies there

Among the participating companies are also some from German-speaking countries, such as the sporting goods manufacturers Adidas and Puma, shoe retailer Deichmann, Otto Group, online retailer Zalando and the Swiss sports shoe specialist on. Also there are Dr. Martens, The Footwear Innovation Foundation, Inditex, Lululemon, Reformation, Target, Tommy Hilfiger and Vivobarefoot.

“The shoe industry is at a critical turning point. Every year, billions of shoes are produced, 90 percent of which end up on landfolter. “Closing the Footwear Loop” is our most ambitious project to reconsider the way we design, use and dispose of shoes. By bringing 14 leading brands together, we not only start a challenge-we create a blueprint for a systemic change, ”Fashion for Good managing director Katrin Ley comments in a message.

Systemic change desired

While the clothing industry is slowly turning to a more circular model, the shoe industry is still behind, especially with regard to scaled innovations. This challenge is still exacerbated by the lack of infrastructure for a withdrawal logistics and the lack of design principles that grant circularity priority. Linear production models are based on the manufacture, use and disposal and fail to take into account the entire life cycle of products.

However, the brands mentioned already explore innovative solutions, including progress in materials science and recovery rograms, to address these challenges. This individual efforts should now be bundled as part of “Closing the Footwear Loop”. The project works with partner organizations, such as The Footwear Collective, Global Footwear Future Coalition (GFFC) and the Global Fashion Agenda.

Three starting points: waste streams, design and end-of-use

Specifically, three approaches are planned: a detailed mapping of the currents of shoe waste in Europe (in collaboration with Circle Economy). This is intended to provide important information about quantities, materials, reusability and recyclability. A report and a business case assessment should be made this year.

At the development level, a plan for circular shoe design is to be developed together with the fashion for good alumnus circular.fashion. This includes the principles for the selection of materials, durability, recyclability, repairability and the responsible handling of chemicals. Here, too, guidelines are to be published this year.

Ultimately, end-of-use innovations are also to be validated, including tests and consequences in order to overcome current bottlenecks and to achieve an industry-wide acceptance. A publication on recycling materials is planned next year.