systems that take time to re-engineer. The
sportswear giants also produce far bigger
ranges and in far bigger numbers and have
to make sure that any sustainable innovation
is scalable, that production can be ramped
up without massively increasing costs.
Ultimately, however, advances they do make
will have a far bigger impact.
Though it doesn’t release official figures,
it is estimated that Converse produces up
to 100 million pairs of the ‘Chuck Taylor
All Star Classic’ a year. That’s 100 pairs of
‘Chucks’ sold for every pair of Vejas. This
summer, Converse launched three upcycled
or recycled versions of the ‘Chuck Taylor’.
One, a partnership with Thread International,is produced using recycled PET from plastic
bottles; another, this time a partnership
with vintage clothes specialist Beyond Retro,
features a recycled denim upper; while a third
uses recycled waste canvas from its own mills.
The simplicity of the fundamental ‘Chuck
Taylor’ design, now a century old, means
Converse can make big shifts working with
just a few of its key manufacturers. And
crucially, ask them to do it without investing
in expensive new machinery. Converse
is working around the way its shoes are
currently made, but these new processes
already create 20 per cent less carbon and use
30 per cent less water. And while the new
Renew range is being made in relatively smallnumbers initially – in the hundreds of
thousands – Converse is looking at ways
to ramp that up and reduce costs, and
is investigating other sustainable materials.
All of these brands are conscious that
a sustainability promise alone isn’t enough
to seal the sale. But as Converse acknowledges,
it’s not just external consumer demand
and pressure that is driving the move to
more sustainable production. That pressure
is also coming from inside the company and
major brands now understand that attracting
and keeping the best young talent means
committing to better behaviour and clear
sustainability strategies. Doing nothing is
no longer an option. ∂The fashion industry produces more carbon emissions
than international flights and shipping combined
GOOD NEWSBAABUKTHE BRAND’S SHOES
FEATURE OUTSOLES
MADE FROM RECYCLED
TYRES, INSOLES OF
RECYCLED EVA AND
ORGANIC COTTON
UPPERS. ‘SOFTBALL
2 LOW WEAVE’, £130
FOR STOCKISTS,
SEE PAGE 232WITH BEGINNINGS AS
A KICKSTARTER-FUNDED
MAKER OF NATURAL
WOOL SLIPPERS, SWISS
BRAND BAABUK HAS
SINCE EXPANDED INTO
WOOL-BASED SNEAKERS.
‘SKY WOOLER’, €115126 ∑
Intelligence