Lifestyle brand Sporty and Rich has announced a new collaboration with Clarks Originals on the iconic Wallabee style with sustainability at the forefront.
First, to bring the Sporty and Rich x Clarks Originals Wallabee shoes to life, the brands chose to use “Heinen Hillcrest” leather sourced from a family-owned tannery in Germany called Heinen.
Unlike your typical tannery, Heinen works diligently to reduce its carbon footprint by introducing energy-efficient production practices and offsetting any CO2 that can’t be reduced. The way the tannery has chosen to offset these unavoidable emissions is by partnering with the Kikonda Forest Project, an organization that plants trees in Uganda to combat deforestation in the country.
Further, the updated Wallabee shoes feature a rubber crepe sole made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified natural rubber, making this the most socially and environmentally conscious outsole used by Clarks Originals to date.
Beyond the shoes themselves, Sporty and Rich and Clarks Originals have ensured that sustainability was considered in regards to the packaging as well. That is why the shoeboxes that the new Wallabee comes in are made from 90% recycled paper and were printed using water-based ink.
The new and improved Wallabee will be available in three trendy hues: merlot, cream puff, and robin’s egg blue. Each pair will also feature a colour coordinated leather tassel tag bearing the Sporty and Rich logo in gold.
The eco-friendly Sporty and Rich x Clarks Originals shoes will be available on both brands’ websites on February 15, 2021, and will retail for $180 USD.
All images in this article are courtesy of Sporty and Rich.
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