Right-Sized Standards
One-size-fits all "fashion" sustainability standards don't work in the real world. Because shoes aren't shirts.
Footwear Carbon Report
A critical read to help journalists, academics, retailers, and policymakers truly understand footwear as its own unique product, industry progress made, new focus areas, and to ensure accuracy in shoe sustainability public reporting, standards, and policy.
The Footwear Carbon Report is the first comprehensive, footwear-specific emissions analysis. Until now, companies and researchers relied on outdated studies or apparel-focused estimates that didn’t accurately reflect footwear. FIF’s report delivers fresh clarity by using current, on-the-ground data from shoe manufacturing, giving the industry its first true picture of the modern shoe carbon footprint. The study’s findings reveal that shoe production’s environmental impact is significantly lower than previously thought, and it pinpoints where future improvements can make the biggest difference.
November 4, 2026 • Castaway Portland
Join us in Portland for the 2026 Shoe Innovation & Sustainability Summit, where we'll help you think, act and do more in your roles to make a real impact.
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, 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
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.
Sustainable Organizations & Certification Information
To ensure you are factually using EPMs, and know the percent of recycled or bio-based materials, you must get it certified. Based on the material type, these groups and standards below are ones to use to get this critical information. Absent certification, you cannot make real, substantiated, claims about your materials or end product.
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
FDRA is the footwear industry's business and trade association. In all, FDRA supports over 500 companies and brands worldwide, representing 98% 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.
Resources for Measuring and Reporting Sustainability
& Legal Marketing Requirements
Below are guides and standards your company can use to better understand and measure sustainability
