Sustainable Shoes For Everyone: Orba Shoes

In 2015, when I first started shopping for more sustainable garments in my wardrobe, I struggled with shoes. The leading options back then were importing shoes from sustainable companies in the UK and US (with big customs fees!) or buying shoes secondhand. Two great avenues, but both super constricting. The shoe styles were limited, and everyday sneakers don’t usually make it to the secondhand shop for someone else to re-wear!

6 years later, Tim and I are rocking Orba shoes and loving every second.

Tim: “They feel really nice. They’ve got an immediate built in foot shaped comfort and good support of my sole. I also like that they don’t look like every other shoe. They’re slightly different. They just look really sharp in my opinion. I wore them for a whole day the first time they arrived, and they didn’t get sore. Normally when you wear new shoes for the first time you get sore feet.”

Orba are new to the market, but they’ve launched a shoe that already makes me excited - it can only get better from here!

Every year 20 billion shoes are produced around the world, made with synthetic materials. Orba are on a mission to provide a shoe made from plant based materials only. They’re the first to say they’re not 100% there yet, but they’ve kicked things off with an epic start. Tim and I are super impressed.

When choosing their suppliers and materials, they follow these key steps:

(a) Ensure that the material is plant-based with the ability to biodegrade.

(b) Ensure that the material has an eco-label.

(c) Ensure the supplier provides relevant environmental information.

(d) If it is not possible to meet item (b) then ensure the material is listed on the Higg Index

for MSI analysis and can be compared to alternative materials.

(e) If it is not possible to meet items (b) or (d) run appropriate restricted substances and

toxicity testing.

Orba shoes are made with:

Sole: Smoked Natural Rubber, Rice Husk Ash & Coconut Oil

Upper: Flax Canvas, Kenaf (Hemp), Ramie (Nettle)

Footbed: Cork, Coconut Husk, Latex & Agave Sisal

Laces, Labels and Stitching: Certified Organic Cotton

If, like me, you’re interested in the reasons why they chose these materials, check out their detailed materials page. You’ll learn cool things like one of the reasons they chose rice husk ash as a material in the shoe sole is because it’s a bi-product of rice production; the farmers are able to make more money from their crop, plus it’s not wasted!

To reduce their footprint (intentional pun), the shoes are sent from Indonesia (where they are made) via ocean freight. This takes longer, but CO2 emissions are much higher in air freight than ocean freight transport, and Orba is committed to reducing the impact of the shoes in all areas.

The factory in Indonesia where the shoes are made is part of BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) with 11 principles:

- The rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining

- Fair remuneration

- Occupational health and safety

- Special protection for young workers

- Not bonded labour

- Ethical business behaviour

- No discrimination

- Decent working hours

- No child labour

- No precarious employment

- Protection of the environment

Once the shoes arrive in Aotearoa New Zealand, they are sent to customers in a family-owned and operated factory who pay living wages to all staff. They are shipped by carbon neutral shipping companies, and arrive in Aotearoa New Zealand homes in a cardboard box - compost it, repurpose it, recycle it.

When our beautiful Orba shoes reach the end of their life, we’ll send them back to Orba who will ensure they’re kept in the resource loop and break down back into the earth. Because that isn’t a need yet and hopefully won’t be for a while, they’re still working on determining the best microbial environment for the shoes to break down in. I’ll update this blog when the exact details of the closed loop are confirmed! In the meantime, their product care page is helpful (and even recommends repurposing a bamboo toothbrush!).

Orba shoes aren’t perfect, and that’s why they are in our wardrobe. They’ve launched something excellent, they’re the first to mention what they don’t do yet and what they hope to do in the future, and their shoes are so darn comfortable. Tim and I unashamedly wear our matching shoes in public because we cannot decide who gets to wear them out.

If you’re on the market for a pair of everyday shoes, Tim and I rate Orba shoes highly.

Shop Orba shoes here.

As a rule, I only work with brands I love, use, and can whole heartedly back. This is a sponsored blog (I can't pay my electricity bill with free products), but 100% my own words, photos, and opinion.