Anna Yona, cofounder with her husband of Engelskirchen, Germany-based Wildling Shoes talks with Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe about making shoes that are easier on the planet. They make a wide range of shoes for women, men and kids, practicing sustainable design and manufacturing using a minimalist design philosophy the produces a light, comfortable and durable shoe. These high-cut shoe, which are made with certified organic cotton, hemp, and synthetic and recycled rubber and cork soles, have held up wonderfully over hundreds of miles of walking. A Certified B Corp., Wildling is working to reinvent shoes after starting out as a response to Anna and her husband became frustrated with the shoes available for their children. They work continually to reduce the environmental impact of their shoes, which are hand-made in factories selected for their environmental and labor practices. Many shoemakers are taking important steps toward sustainability, and Wildling is a leader.

We recently tested a pair of Panther high-cut shoes from Wildling Shoes and named it a Greener Shopping Difference Maker. On our scale of three degrees of sustainability, Difference Maker is the second level and represents a product that reduces environmental impacts by at least 50% compared to traditional designs. These shoes are better for the planet. In 2020, Wildling’s shoes averaged 0.258 pounds of Scope 1 and 2 emissions per pair. Since Scope 3 emissions typically account for 90% or more of the total carbon emissions associated with a product, we estimated that the total carbon footprint of the average pair of Wildling shoes is about 4.5 pounds per pair. You can learn more about Wildling Shoes at https://us.wildling.shoes/