In recent years, “Keeping Shoes Alive” has emerged as a rallying cry within the footwear industry. Eco-minded businesses in particular have embraced the idea that product longevity is key to sustainability giving shape to new initiatives and updated strategies devoted to making shoes wearable longer. Repair services, take back programs and pilot stage recycling efforts are ways that brands, retailers and material suppliers are taking steps to close the loop and advance footwear circularity.

Strides are being made, yet challenges abound especially in today’s world of industry overproduction and consumer overconsumption. According to market research, 300 million pairs of shoes are thrown away annually in the United States and traditional shoe repair businesses are in decline; approximately 3,000 shoe repair businesses exist in the U.S. currently.

On the other hand, the repair/reuse ethos resonates with Gen Z and younger demographics who are savvy social media users appreciative of online resources to connect with cobblers, retail repair services and resale platforms.

“It’s a paradigm shift to get people to change from a throw-away mindset,” comments Sean Naef, VP sales & marketing Industrial Business at Vibram. The company’s repair services focus on three main fronts: sustain current cobblers, grow awareness to consumers, and bring in new talent. “There is a lot of work to be done but also a lot of potential,” Naef says. Vibram hosts cobbler clinics and workshops, has a mobile repair unit and offers virtual consultation services to its extensive network of shoe repair shops.

Execs also see a shift occurring in how industry thinks about collaboration, understanding that this is now almost required to overcome challenges facing brands’ circular targets. Dave Kemp, director of corporate responsibility at Brooks, describes “going beyond working with dedicated sustainability team members to now pulling in teams from other divisions as well.” It also extends to working with other brands, even direct competitors. Kemp gives as an example The Footwear Collective, an organization established in 2023 that is bringing like-minded companies together in a pre-competitive atmosphere to brainstorm development of industry wide solutions.

Modern Makeover

“Local shoe repair shops are increasingly rare, yet the demand for quality shoe repair continues. We see significant opportunities in consumer education—many people don’t realize how much can be repaired or restored,” states retailer Dillon Dardano, VP at Dardano’s, a fourth-generation, family-owned footwear destination. Deeply rooted in shoe repair, Dardano’s operates two retail stores in Colorado with a dedicated repair and distribution center, and three strong e-commerce platforms: EZShoeRepair.com, LiftMyShoes.com, and Dardanos.com. The repair facility, custom-built 20 years ago, employs seven full-time cobblers. “Our team is a blend of experienced craftsmen, some with 30+ years of expertise, and a new generation of skilled professionals keeping the tradition alive.”

Dardano has seen growing awareness of repair and renewal as part of a sustainable lifestyle. “Many customers appreciate the environmental impact of reducing waste, while others value the craftsmanship and tradition of maintaining quality footwear rather than replacing it.” As footwear construction has evolved, so has Dardano’s approach; services specialize in stretching, shining, sewing, and orthopedic modifications to extend the life of customers’ shoes.

Mark Tingley, Recrafting Supervisor at outdoor footwear brand Danner, states, “For anyone purchasing a new item with responsibility to the environment in mind, having the ability to repair it should be a must.” Since Recrafting’s start in 2012 Danner has maintained a quick turnaround year-round, sending back most repaired boots within two to three weeks. In 2023 the company launched a web tool that confirms if a customer’s boot is Recraftable, and helps improve and automate repair processing. “Our next step moving forward is to expand the service globally by working with international partners in Canada and Europe,” says Tingley. Recraftable product at a lower price point was introduced with the Mountain 600 Leaf and offerings are continuing to expand.

Durability Matters

NNormal, the brand founded in 2021 by mountain athlete Kilian Jornet and Spanish footwear company Camper, recently published a study that determines how many kilometers a pair of its Kjerag shoes can last, with the understanding that durability is essential to lowering the environmental impacts of the trail running industry. Based on a sample of 511 runners of all levels, NNormal’s Kjerag should last 1,350 kilometers before being completely worn out or before concluding their lifecycle.

“Our data-driven approach introduces a new way of thinking about footwear impact by shifting the focus from total carbon emissions per pair to emissions per kilometer. By calculating distance x product lifespan, we create a tangible metric that helps in designing performance shoes with minimized carbon footprints over time. This approach not only informs our design choices but also sends a question to the industry to rethink how durability should be measured in the context of sustainability, Sito Salas, CEO, NNormal.

The Durability Scale works by analyzing wear patterns across a sample of many runners of different levels and backgrounds. Sito explains, “By prioritizing durability, we ensure that our products stay in use for as long as possible, reducing waste and consumption while we work towards a truly circular future.”

Brooks has leaned into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with attention on people and planet to create an important framework for corporate priorities and strategies, such as Sustainable Consumption and Climate Action, keeping Brooks focused and moving in the right direction, according to Kemp.

Waste reduction, for instance, is being tackled from many different angles, ranging from downcycling into other industries’ applications to strategies to recycle waste back into Brooks products. “Just last year we started a strategy with one of our toe box material suppliers where they take the cutting waste and recycle it to make more of that material again and then ship it back to Brooks’ factories. It’s a really interesting pilot that we are looking to scale, and hopefully accelerate to other suppliers,” Kemp adds.

Other sustainability strategies top of mind at Brooks are decoupling product from non-renewable resources and moving it towards a circular future. The Glycerin Max shoe has a bio-based EVA midsole and an upper made of 66.4% recycled materials.