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If 10,000 Biters pick up a pair of "green rubber" Brooks Cascadias instead of a non-green pair, they'll avert the use of 158,500 gallons of petroleum.

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home › tip library › Eco Running Shoes

Would you jog the extra mile for eco-friendly shoes?

The Bite

You won't need to, seeing as the major brands are starting to employ eco-friendlier materials in their lines. Companies like Asics manufacture their shoes PVC-free, and others like New Balance are going several paces further...

The Benefits

Just when you thought you'd forever be crossing finish lines wearing less than eco-friendly shoes, the big names are starting to go green, so these versions are widely available.
Alternative materials like "green rubber" go easy on the petroleum and PVC, which may release carcinogenic dioxins during production.
Some lines forgo the leather and are mostly vegan.
Fair trade supports foreign workers, ensuring they earn a living wage.

Personally Speaking

Sara's New Balances sure look good on the concrete runway (a.k.a. the very few jogger-friendly, non-hilly sidewalks of San Francisco).

Wanna Try?

New Balance - the most socially responsible of the big shoe manufacturers, New Balance recently phased out PVC and has many vegan options.
Veja Sneakers - OK, so this site's in French… but these shoes are hot-to-trot. Fair trade sneaks made using organic cotton, available at Scout ($138).
Brooks Cascadia 2 - developed in part by vegan marathon champion Scott Jurek using "green rubber" that incorporates silicon rather than petroleum ($95).
Ideal Bite's Leftovers Tip - when you're done with them, give them a chance to be reincarnated as playground groundcover.

Oct 05,2006

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All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.

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Props for Trying?

Hey Party People -

As many of you know, our whole philosophy at the Bite is that we give props for trying, instead of shaking our fingers for not being perfect.

Enter the Ideal Bite class room. Let's take Nike as a case study.

Back in the mid-90's they got slapped down for labor practices. They tried to do a little green washing, and got slapped harder. A decade or so later they have definitely built sustainability into the core who they are, and how they operate, and what they produce. Essentially, Nike did a 180. Was it all reactionary and/or just for profit? Whose to ever know. But personally I don't care if they were carrot' or stick'ed into it. I am just glad they are doing it, and keep doing more of it as the profit margins and shareholders allow.

But some of you I know will be all, "Nike is a big ugly business that treated its offshore workers like crap! How can you even start to defend them!!?" Well, weirdly enough amoungst the darker green audience, Nike is the underdog, and I always side with the underdog. Plus, I pretend to think like an economist since that was my major in undergrad, and so I get turned on by the economies of scale that Nike can bring to the supply chain.

So bring it on. Let's go to the mat. Or you can really make my day and just agree that big companies are not perfect, and may just be after marketshare, but if they are taking incremental steps towards being leaders in the world of sustainable business, they should get props.

Off to go running.. yes, in my Nikes - Jen

Biter Comments...

I wonder if the 14-year-old girls who made your shoes get "turned on by the economies of scale that Nike can bring to the supply chain."

Posted by: Christian | October 05, 2006 at 12:03 AM

I'm a little confused, though. Does Nike's increased attention to sustainability mean that they ahve changed their labour practices, or that they're using recycled materials in their shoe boxes--for examples. Sustainability, being green, etc, means different things to different peple. Take clothing, for example...some people insist that they must have clothing made from 100% natural fibres. They're not as worried about resuing (shopping at thrift shops, etc) or about who made their clothing, as they are about keeping toxins in out of their wardrobes. For other people, labour practices are extremely essential to consider. For still others, thirft store shopping is the way to go. So people don't have to stroke Nike's ego if they don't want to. Having said that, it's hard to avoid large conglomorates in a capitalist society which has grown in population as much as ours has. A lot of people were upset when Tom's of Maine was sold. I was sad, because it sees the end of yet another privately owned business. But...(and leaving hte huge amount of money which Tom's was probably paid)...the demand for Tom's products may well have gotten beyond their means.

Posted by: Robin | October 05, 2006 at 08:30 AM

Maybe Nike changed their ways, but New Balance has not. See this report from the National Labor Committee: http://www.nlcnet.org/live/reports.php?id=105 I am very disappointed that you recommended New Balance in today's tip. Their China factory is a disgrace. Stewardship of the earth MUST begin with stewardship of its human population, don't you think?

Posted by: Stasi | October 05, 2006 at 01:46 PM

Confusing bite today. Is this just about running shoes? Because there are clearly other options than wearing Asics. No mention of Camper? At minimum, their Wabi line should get a mention - 3 components, all recyclable. Or Simple?

Posted by: zachary Tigue | October 05, 2006 at 02:27 PM

Zachary- We've got a separate Bite on sneakers in the works. Stay tuned. Stasi- We definitely want the whole story to be heard, so thanks for the link. Although it's one of the last big shoe companies to still manufacture a large portion of its line within the US, the labor problems in China should be taken into account and I hope that bloggers reading this will consider contacting NB to ask that they address the concerns: New Balance 20 Guest St. Brighton Landing Boston, MA 02135-2088 USA Phone: 617-783-4000 http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/rs/profile.cfm?id=270

Posted by: Toshio | October 05, 2006 at 04:23 PM

“As many of you know, our whole philosophy at the Bite is that we give props for trying, instead of shaking our fingers for not being perfect.” Indeed, and that is good, but I think at the same time you have to be aware of what to improve in order to implement change towards the best. So take tips on improvement with open arms and be mindful, and all is good.

Posted by: Aaron Brown | October 06, 2006 at 10:05 AM

i'm with you on green meaning inclusive, and keeping the conversation always open. sustainability, in any aspect or dimension, will fail, miserably, if the community always criticizes, or demands that we all go back to yurts. that said, there's a world of difference between the typical underdog and Nike!! being the underdog is about facing a power or social structure firmly fixed against you...mixed with some sense that you're in a virtuous struggle! don't tell me you believe the drive towards ever-growing quarterly profits makes a multinational monster an underdog!

Posted by: JS | October 07, 2006 at 08:45 AM

The reference to Nike being an underdog or having undergone a corporate 180 is discouraging to say the least. They remain one of the most environmentally destructive and socially exploitive companies to have ever existed. I strongly encourage anyone who thinks otherwise to acquaint themselves with the maquila solidarity network, Greenpeace or any other environmental or labour watch dog that monitors and documents Nike's exploits closely. Bottom line is, if you wear their product, you bear the blame equally. Apathy kills too and it's our responsibility as consumers to vote with our dollars and spending choices. In the case of running shoes, that means buying a product like Veja or Yellow Port. (www.yellowport.ca) Just my two cents.

Posted by: Codie | June 19, 2007 at 09:03 PM