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  • Right-Sized Standards

    One-size-fits all "fashion" sustainability standards don't work in the real world. Because shoes aren't shirts.

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    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!

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  • Programs

    Industry programs and resources to support your sustainability efforts

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    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, Caleres

     

    The 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

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    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.
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    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
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    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:

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  • Data

    Industry Benchmark Insight

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    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.

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    Consumer Insight

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    FDRA members can contact us to get the full report.

  • 2022 Shoe Box & Packaging Sustainability Survey Snapshot

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    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.

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    FDRA members can contact us to get the full report.

  • Insights

    Expert Insights on Sustainability

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    Kicks Over Coffee with Evoco

    Inside How New Sustainable Innovations Are Driving Positive Change

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    Kicks Over Coffee with Bloom

    CHOOSE RESTORATIVE: A Discussion On Where The Shoe Industry Is & Where It's Headed On Sustainability

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    Kicks Over Coffee with Dynamic Foam

    Customizing Your Sustainable Material Mix to Meet Specs and Budget

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    Sustainability Spotlight

    Hear stories of key efforts, ideas, innovations and Leadership in shoe sustainability

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    Sustainability Innovation

    Find the latest news in footwear sustainability and innovation

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    Critical Updates

    Monthly 2-minute read on critical updates, key trends, and upcoming events

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    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.

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    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.

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  • Insights

    Experts Discussing Key Issues Around Sustainability

    Shoe In Show 303

    PODCAST 303: Innovating Towards More Ethical/ Sustainable Footwear Foams LISTEN

     

     
    adidas futurecraft

    PODCAST 272: Shoe Shoppers Sound Off On Sustainability – What they Understand, What Brands Should Prioritize LISTEN

     

     
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    PODCAST 268: Inside Teva’s New Program to Recycle Sandals LISTEN

     

     
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    PODCAST 264: The Amazing Sustainable Journey of Saucony’s New ZERO Plastics Shoe LISTEN

     

     
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    PODCAST 263: How Technology is Enhancing Shoe Sustainability PracticeS LISTEN

     

     
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    PODCAST 256: Innovating Better Things in a Better Way With Jad Finck of Allbirds LISTEN

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    PODCAST 213: Tiffany Beers on software people should use during these turbulent times, new sustainable footwear, digital events, and more! LISTEN

     

     
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    ARTICLE: how companies can lessen their global footprint while increasing their bottom line. Find 8 easy steps to greater sustainability here!

     

     
  • Latest News

    Click to View All

    Top News Articles We've Seen Around Sustainability

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    Meet the World’s First Truly Biodegradable Sneakers READ NOW

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    Flower Power: Cole Haan Debuts Sneakers Made From Dandelions READ NOW

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    OrthoLite Unveils Its First Midsole Technology — a Recyclable Foam Made with Zero Plastic READ NOW

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    Caleres Sustainability Goals — Environmentally-Preferred Materials for 100% of products by 2025 READ NOW

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    Converse used 7,000 second-hand Hawaiian shirts to create these sneakers READ NOW