Trendy, expensive, wasteful – this is how one could sum up the current
worldwide sneaker boom. Unfortunately, the environment is often a secondary
consideration when producing the most popular models, and at the end of
their lives, sneakers end up in the hazardous waste bin. German sneaker
brand Ethletic proves that fashion and environmental and social awareness
do not have to be mutually exclusive: It manufactures vegan sneakers from
Fairtrade-certified organic cotton and natural rubber (FSC) and donates 1
US dollar per pair sold to workers’ welfare associations. Those who are
particularly happy with their sneakers can also send a tip to the workers
in Pakistan.
“The people who work for Ethletic are not just a number on the balance
sheet or a cost factor for us. We have gotten to know these people. We
appreciate them and their skills, their commitment, their history,”
explains Ethletic CEO Mark Solterbeck, who travels several times a year to
India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan to maintain personal contacts with the
manufacturers.
Personal contacts and fair production are essentials
This also has an effect on the quality, which can thus be improved
continuously. In addition, Solterbeck can get a clear picture of employee
training himself and verify the stability and sustainability of the supply
chains. One US dollar per pair of sneakers sold goes to the “Talon
Fairtrade Workers Welfare Society”, which was founded in 2002. The workers
decide for themselves which projects they want to use the money for – for
example, their children’s education, their pensions, health care or
microcredits.
“Since the end of 2019, together with the social start-up Tip Me, we
have been making it possible for customers to send a personal tip to the
makers of their shoes directly from our online shop, which is 100 percent
received by the staff. An absolute novelty in the clothing industry”,
explains Ethletic.
In addition, the company has started a repair service for worn out
sneakers in cooperation with Berlin company Sneaker Rescue last year, which
extends the life of the sneakers. This is good for the environment and real
sneakerheads. In case the shoes should be beyond repair, Ethletic is
currently thinking about a deposit system for sneakers in which shoes can
be returned to Ethletic at the end of their life for recycling.
Collaborations with artists spawn capsule collections
The award-winning brand, which is “vegan approved” by PETA and winner of
the Fairtrade Award 2016 in the manufacturer category, has also
collaborated with many artists, resulting in various capsule collections.
The “Karma Chakhs,” for example, with Berlin architect Van Bo Le-Mentzel,
“Ethical Couture” with Berlin artist Kay Wright, limited editions with
designer Johanna Balzer and the band Donots, Pakistani artist Shehzil
Malik, professional longboarder Esther Suave and students from Lahore and
Berlin. A functional leisure jogging shoe and a skateboarding shoe made of
purely natural, renewable raw materials are planned for the future.
Ethletic did not even start out as a sneaker brand, but as a sports
brand. The aim of the two founders James Lloyd and Dr. Martin Kunz was to
produce the world’s first fair trade football. This was difficult because
the industry stood for child labour and inhumane working conditions all
over the world. In addition, there was no sustainability seal for rubber –
the material from which footballs are largely made. So Kunz himself created
one for the natural rubber sourced from Sri Lanka. The goal was achieved in
1998 with the world’s first fair produced football, manufactured in
Pakistan and awarded the FSC seal, a first for the brand.
Ethletic became a sneaker brand by accident
The expansion into sneakers happened by accident: A canvas shoe with a
rubber sole slipped out of the pocket of one of the founders during a
supplier meeting in Pakistan. The production manager said confidently: “We
can do something like that” and there was a new goal: a fair-trade sneaker,
to be produced in an environmentally friendly way on the basis of already
established ethical supply chains.
This goal was achieved as well: The world’s first sneaker to be awarded
the Fairtrade seal of approval for fair trade organic cotton was an
Ethletic sneaker in 2004. In addition, the umbrella association for fair
trade stores, with its strict fair trade criteria, included Ethletic as an
approved supplier in 2010.
By now, the sneaker brand has built up a community of loyal fans – not
only in Germany, but also in other European and non-European countries.
There are now also online shops in France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Great
Britain and the USA.