Right-Sized Standards
One-size-fits all "fashion" sustainability standards don't work in the real world. Because shoes aren't shirts.
Join us in Portland for the 2023 Shoe Sustainability Summit, where we'll focus on helping you think, act and do more sustainably in your roles to make a real impact across the hottest topics in our industry. Check out our 2022 Shoe Sustainability Summit Recap!
Kicks City Events — get a huge discount to all 3 of our Portland Events September 19–20!
Programs
Industry programs and resources to support your sustainability efforts
Footwear Environmental Preferred Material (EPM) Guide
"This guide was a collaborative effort by our FDRA working group and provides needed clarity and targets to help our industry work together towards amplifying a stronger foundation for sustainable footwear development."Dan Friedman, Chief Sourcing Officer, CaleresThe guide is focused on providing environmentally preferred material (EPM) thresholds companies can use to:
benchmark current sustainability efforts against industry average
adjust internal material sourcing requirements to chose sustainable materials
provide sustainable targets to companies already above thresholds
align all shoe companies on same goals to increase impact and lower costs
guide retailers to tailor products to footwear industry performance levels
FDRA's Footwear Factory Zero Waste Program
More than a dozen companies use our plug-in-play program to reduce waste from their factories such as Target, Fila, Steve Madden, Caleres, Crocs, and many others. It is an industry wide program aimed at eliminating manufacturing waste in shoe and apparel factories.
This program provides multiple benefits to brands and factories:
- It helps factories identify, sort, and recycle waste to keep it out of landfills, providing a critical tool to significantly increase sustainability at the factory level.
- Our teams do all the work with the factories for you.
- FDRA subsidizes the program to help cover costs for our members.
- We also collect key emissions and other ESG data at the factory level to help you track and trace your overall manufacturing footprint.
- Factories from China and Vietnam are eligible from FDRA member companies.
Chemical & Physical Footwear Testing Guide
The continued safety of footwear is a top issue for FDRA and the entire footwear industry. FDRA is the industry’s leading association on footwear product safety action and intelligence. It helps its members understand and adapt to the changing landscape of product safety standards and regulations through its comprehensive product safety program, including:
- Footwear Chemical Testing Interactive Guide
- Footwear Physical Testing Interactive Guide
- Catalog of Global Testing Requirements
- Quarterly Footwear Chemical Fail Rate Report
Shoe Sustainability Digital Training Center
Key insights, understanding and pathways forward on sustainability for Shoe Designers, Development, Materials, Sourcing, and Supply Chain Professionals. Our training provides a holistic look at critical issues to help you achieve real progress and success. With key leaders and experts sharing ideas and strategy, it is the most in-depth training you will find anywhere.
Check out our Critical and Master Courses:
Data
Industry Benchmark Insight
Results are from footwear workers across the industry, providing a unique insight into real progress and real challenges they face each day.
“This is an extremely important report for footwear companies. It is the only report that gets real insights from workers across the footwear industry on ESG programs so companies can actually enhance their focus and strategies,” said FDRA Senior Vice President Andy Polk.
“We’ve collected responses on issue areas including new sustainable materials, impacts being measuring, and how much is sustainability becoming part of companies actual values and culture. The report presents a clear snapshot of where our industry is and where it is headed on environmental issues giving companies the ability to benchmark themselves against industry averages. This can help them see where they need to put in work and where they may be leading the pack. It also helps us see constraints to greater ESG efforts so that FDRA can help pull companies together to find collective solutions that can increase impact while decreasing costs. Those findings will fold into FDRA’s efforts for our members going forward to ensure companies have resources and tools to support their sustainable journeys.”
View or download the report here.
Consumer Insight
FDRA members can contact us to get the full report.
2022 Shoe Box & Packaging Sustainability Survey Snapshot
2022 Shoe Box & Packaging Sustainability Survey Snapshot
Powered by Nordstrom, FDRA conducted an industry-wide survey on shoe packaging waste and optimization issues to help the industry benchmark and refocus efforts. The results, taken from shoe veterans, point to a large amount of work yet to do by many shoe companies in various areas of packaging. FDRA is taking these findings to build out new sustainable packaging programs for its members in key areas. The goal is to help educate and align the industry for collective action on several key issue areas such as dunnage, shoe box sizing, poly bags and more—helping decrease footprints and costs.
FDRA members can contact us to get the full report.
FDRA members can contact us to get the full report.
Insights
Expert Insights on Sustainability
Kicks Over Coffee with Evoco
Inside How New Sustainable Innovations Are Driving Positive Change
Kicks Over Coffee with Bloom
CHOOSE RESTORATIVE: A Discussion On Where The Shoe Industry Is & Where It's Headed On Sustainability
Kicks Over Coffee with Dynamic Foam
Customizing Your Sustainable Material Mix to Meet Specs and Budget
Sustainability Spotlight
Hear stories of key efforts, ideas, innovations and Leadership in shoe sustainability
Sustainability Innovation
Find the latest news in footwear sustainability and innovation
Critical Updates
Monthly 2-minute read on critical updates, key trends, and upcoming events
FDRA is the footwear industry's business and trade association. In all, FDRA supports nearly 500 companies and brands worldwide, representing 95% of total U.S. footwear sales, making it by far the largest and most respected American footwear trade and business association.
Contact us if we can assist with your sustainability efforts and your business.
FDRA is now a partner of 1% For The Planet—learn more about the project and donate to support FDRA's Zero Waste Program. Business and individual members engage directly with approved nonprofit partners such as FDRA, providing monetary donations, volunteer time, in-kind donations and other forms of approved promotional support.
Insights
Experts Discussing Key Issues Around Sustainability
PODCAST 272: Shoe Shoppers Sound Off On Sustainability – What they Understand, What Brands Should Prioritize LISTEN
PODCAST 213: Tiffany Beers on software people should use during these turbulent times, new sustainable footwear, digital events, and more! LISTEN
ARTICLE: how companies can lessen their global footprint while increasing their bottom line. Find 8 easy steps to greater sustainability here!
Latest News
Top News Articles We've Seen Around Sustainability
Meet the World’s First Truly Biodegradable Sneakers READ NOW
Flower Power: Cole Haan Debuts Sneakers Made From Dandelions READ NOW
OrthoLite Unveils Its First Midsole Technology — a Recyclable Foam Made with Zero Plastic READ NOW
Caleres Sustainability Goals — Environmentally-Preferred Materials for 100% of products by 2025 READ NOW
Converse used 7,000 second-hand Hawaiian shirts to create these sneakers READ NOW
Resources for Measuring and Reporting Sustainability
& Legal Marketing Requirements
Below are guides and standards your company can use to better understand and measure sustainability
