The story of the Ethletic sneaker doesn’t start with a sober business plan. It starts with a ball. The first fairly manufactured soccer ball in the world. Also, the story of the Ethletic sneaker doesn’t start in an air conditioned office somewhere in a western metropolis. It starts in a production hall in Pakistan. James Lloyd and Dr. Martin Kunz, the founders of Ethletic, had set their mind on manufacturing a new generation of soccer balls. In 1998, they brought the world’s first fairly manufactured soccer balls onto the market and it wasn’t until 2004 that the Ethletic Sneaker becomes worldwide the first sneaker on the market to be certified with the Fairtrade quality seal for organic cotton.
To manufacture fairly-traded products in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way, ensuring fair treatment and support for workers, while collaborating with like-minded individuals to promote ethical fashion and offer alternatives to conventional brands.
No information has been found on the achieved sustainable milestones.
No information has been found on their future plans
2021 PETA Vegan Fashion Award – Winner – Fair Sneaker HIRO II
2016 Fairtrade Award – Winner – Manufacturer category
You can find Ethletic products in several countries across Europe: United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic and Estonia
You can find Ethletic products in several countries across Europe: United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic and Estonia
They do not use plastic in their packaging and use cardboard boxes instead. However, no further information can be found about their packaging materials.
In 2019, Ethletic started offering our customers a discounted repair option in collaboration with Berlin-based start-up Sneaker Rescue. Ethletic customers can now extend the life span of their favourite pair of trainers and thus help the environment.
FSC - Natural rubber for the soles
Leather alternative (does not mention exactly what it is) is GRS certified
They do not use plastic in their packaging and use cardboard boxes instead. However, no further information can be found about their packaging materials.
In 2019, Ethletic started offering our customers a discounted repair option in collaboration with Berlin-based start-up Sneaker Rescue. Ethletic customers can now extend the life span of their favourite pair of trainers and thus help the environment.
FSC - Natural rubber for the soles
Leather alternative (does not mention exactly what it is) is GRS certified
Organic Cotton – India and Pakistan
Rubber – Sri Lanka
Eyelets – China
Pakistan
Sneakers = 79.90
Trainers = EUR 89.90
Others = EUR 119.90
Even though their production is not in Europe, Ethletic does reduce their CO2 emissions because of the proximity of their raw materials and production factory.
You can also “trace your sneaker” to see what their material composition is and the total distance travelled from fabric origin to brand. This can also give you an overview of how much it took to produce your new sneakers!
No information on this is provided by the brand.
Organic farming (of cotton) requires some 90% less water than conventional farming methods
No information on this is provided by the brand.
Ethletic has declared that their main goal is “complete biodegradability”. To get there, They’re in the process of developing a deposit system in which Ethletic customers will be able to return their shoes to them with complete confidence that they will properly recycle them. Even now, the entire shoe (aside from the metal shoelace eyelets) will fully decompose; it’s simply a matter of time.
The shoes are free from toxins in compliance with EU norms. Ethletic has all of their shoe models laboratory-tested each year. Ethletic sneakers are “Reach-compliant”, i.e. they correspond with the EU Reach Directive governing the presence of chemicals. In addition, the organic cotton they use is manufactured in accordance with the string guidelines of the GOTS, the Global Organic Textile Standard, which far exceeds even the legal provisions regulating toxins. It stipulates that during the manufacturing process only chemicals included on the GOTS Positive List may be used.
Ethletic’s entire supply and production chain complies with criteria’s of a fair trading. This means that the people conducting the labor in the region known as the so-called “global south” are not exploited, but are instead paid fair and proper wages for their work. Moreover, The Fairtrade minimum price for organic cotton is higher than for conventionally cultivated cotton, helping the farmers to cover the costs of sustainable production. This means they can plan in advance and invest their money, rather than having to go into debt pre-financing the purchase of overpriced genetically modified seed from large agrochemical corporations. And the Fairtrade bonuses paid out to the farmers can finance local social projects and educational facilities, two cornerstones in the fight against exploitative child labor.
These conditions also apply in their factory in Sialkot, Pakistan. Their employees receive a wage some 20% higher than the legally stipulated minimum wage in Pakistan. Additionally, the Welfare Society organized by the employees receives a bonus – $1 per Ethletic shoe pair sold. This money is then used for social projects such as health care, insurance, education, etc.
No more information regarding sustainability reports, life cycle analyses or impact reports is available.