Vivobarefoot

How ethical and sustainable is Vivobarefoot?

Vivobarefoot is a brand of barefoot running shoes and trainers, popular in the barefoot running community. Vivobarefoot has been rated and researched for its policies relating to the Environment, Animals and People, by The Good Shopping Guide, and has met our Ethical Benchmark, and is therefore eligible for Ethical Accreditation.

Compare Vivobarefoot to other ethical shoe brands in our Shoes & Trainers: Ethical Comparison Ratings Table, and read more about the Shoes and Trainers industry in our comprehensive guide.

About Vivobarefoot

This minimalist running shoe manufacturer, Vivobarefoot, was created by Tim Brennan. Its technology, conceived by Tim Brennan and developed by the British shoe business Terra Plana, aims to provide the best biomechanics and posture often associated with barefoot running and walking, which are supported by the barefoot movement. As near to going barefoot in the city as you can get (according to its marketing!) is the walking experience. Its Evo running shoe is the most well-known shoe to use this technology.

Vivobarefoot’s Environmental policies and Sustainable Materials

Although Vivobarefoot has a Sustainability page and an Environmental Policy, but both lack targets and comprehensive, detailed information. For the Environmental Report category, Vivobarefoot therefore receives a bottom score from The Good Shopping Guide.

Vivobarefoot does not break out the specifications of each product, although its sustainability page does cover materials. The claim is that every product is made of recycled PET and “sustainably tanned” leather, with certain items also claiming to be made of recycled plastic bottles. In addition, recycled PET is not genuinely sustainable over the course of the entire product lifecycle, and Vivobarefoot is not upfront enough regarding ingredient quantities.

Vivobarefoot and leather products

Vivobarefoot has a strict leather policy which protects Animal Welfare to a certain extent. The Code of Conduct for Vivobarefoot, which protects the rights of workers and employees across all scopes of the supply chain and business, is also clear and thorough.

How could Vivobarefoot improve its Ethical Rating on The Good Shopping Guide‘s Shoes & Trainers: Ethical Comparison Ratings Table?

This shoe brand could increase its Ethical Rating by improving its Environmental Report and its use of Sustainable Materials. Vivobarefoot could also apply for Ethical Accreditation, which would open the company for even further scrutiny into its ethics and sustainability.

If your shoes and trainers brand values ethics and sustainability, why not check out The Good Shopping Guide‘s Ethical Accreditation? Increase customer and investor confidence and stand out from the greenwash.