More than 25 billion pairs of shoes are manufactured each year, and 90% of them will end up in landfill — often within 12 months of purchase.

Vivobarefoot look to tackle the problem by becoming the first shoe brand in the world to launch a re-commerce site.

 Launch video: https://youtu.be/TAov_TPS3FM

London, 14th July 2020 – Global barefoot footwear company Vivobarefoot has today launched ReVivo – a programme which reconditions worn or returned Vivobarefoot shoes and to keep shoes IN circulation and OUT of landfill. In a clear ambition to eliminate the brand’s shoes-to-landfill ratio, ReVivo is a major step for the brand to be the most sustainable shoe brand in the world.

More than 25 billion pairs of shoes are said to be produced every year, 90% of which are eventually thrown away to create a mass mountain of ‘rubbish’ shoes. Many are consigned to the rubbish bin less than a year after being purchased.

Instead of filling landfill with more foam and air, Vivobarefoot think is time for the shoe industry to take more responsibility for trashing people’s feet and the planet. With the health of people and planet so intrinsically linked – Vivobarefoot is calling for the shoe industry to stop making rubbish shoes without end of life solutions.

Now the healthiest shoes in the world can live on through the ReVivo platform. But this is just the start for the London-based shoe brand, with work underway on chemical recycling solutions as well as other circular economy models such as 3D printed shoes.

Vivobarefoot CEO Galahad Clark had this to say: “No doubt, the elephant in the sustainable shoe room is end-of-life and the fact that nearly all shoes end up in landfill or, at best, get ground down into flooring material.  The shoe industry makes shoes out of complicated different materials bonded together with a lot of petro-chemicals that will ultimately sit in landfill for a lot longer than the lives of the wearers!”

He added: “At Vivobarefoot we’re on a journey to make the most sustainable shoes in the world: regenerative for people and planet. The launch of ReVivo is a super exciting step in that journey and one of many initiatives we are taking to make sure none of our shoes ever end up slowly decaying in landfill!”

REVIVO – THE PROCESS

 Vivobarefoot believes the most sustainable option for footwear is to keep them on people’s feet for as long as possible and, as a result, the brand will work alongside the highly-skilled craftspeople of The Boot Repair Company to give their shoes a new lease of life. Currently, only shoes which have been returned to the brand will go through this process, however it is Vivobarefoot’s goal to be able to accept shoes directly from customers, before repairing and returning them.

Returned shoes will undergo a full fault inspection before being given one of three grades:

  • Grade 1 – Our finest reconditioned footwear, described as being ‘like new’.
  • Grade 2 – In great condition, but has been repaired
  • Grade 3 – In good condition, but has had repairs and a replacement sole.

The shoes are then given a deep steam clean and sanitised inside and out using Micro-Fresh to kill all known viruses and bacteria before the repair process begins, including procedures such as:

  • Burst seams are re-stitched and over-locked to create a strong, lasting repair.
  • Torn or weak areas are patched.
  • Un-stuck seals and soles are re-bonded.
  • Broken eyelets and lace hooks are carefully replaced.
  • Damaged laces and insoles are replaced with new products, with the old insoles then recycled and used to repair other shoes.
  • Thin or damaged soles are skilfully replaced with the old sole units being recycled and used as equestrian area bases.
  • Packaging is replaced.

You can find further details about the process in this video here. Once repaired, the shoes will be clearly marked and available to buy from the ReVivo website, which launches soon, allowing customers to purchase shoes which have been revived and reconditioned – keeping perfectly good shoes on their feet, not stacked up and then buried in the ground for generations to come.