by Shannon Scott March 18, 2021

Not only are traditional flip flops made using toxic ingredients, they are also low quality, which is why some of them never even last longer than a single camping trip! However, eco friendly flip flops are generally made from 100% recycled materials--from things like recycled tires, natural recycled rubber, and cork. There are even all natural vegan flip flops options available.

There are numerous sandal options around the world, but perhaps none is more well known and ubiquitous as the flip flop. Referred to as thongs, slides, jandals, and other names depending on your location, these comfortable slip-ons date back nearly 6000 years ago to ancient Egypt.

Flip Flops' popularity comes from the simplicity of their design. Don’t let this fool you, they still come in a wide range of variations and styles making them one of the top selling shoes on the market. Every year, several billions of flip flops are sold, and eventually discarded. 

For some, theses easy slip-on sandals conjure images of hot summer days or a simple shoe that pairs with any outfit. However, for others, the flip flop is a valuable commodity.

In countries like Kenya and Ethiopia, flip flops are often the only pair of shoes that people can afford. Therefore, this precious commodity is cared for, mended, and held onto for as long as possible.

It’s only when they are beyond repair that the sandals get thrown away. The average lifespan of a flip flop in places like Kenya and Ethiopia is two years, while in countries like America, they often only last a summer before winding up in the trash bin.

Like many cheap and mass produced items, flip-flops are constructed from plastic and synthetic materials. Sadly, plastics impact on the environment has been devastating. 

The challenge facing the global flip-flop industry is where the shoes end up once they’re thrown away. Unfortunately, a significant number end up in sewers, rivers, canals, and other waterways that eventually empty into our oceans. Recent reports state roughly 90 tons of the world’s plastic reaches our oceans every year.

In places where flip flops are one of the main styles of shoe, such as developing countries in Asia and tropical zones, flip flops are washing up on shore in masses. The majority of the trash that makes it way to the ocean from these places ends up on the shores of Africa.

Not only do millions of flip flops make their way into places where they are extremely harmful to the wildlife and the ecosystem overall, but the manufacturing process itself uses chemicals and products that are extremely dangerous and pose their own set of environmental threats if not handles properly.

These impactful issues are highlighting how broken the footwear industry is, which has led to dramatic rise in popularity of eco-friendly flip flops.

Not only are traditional flip flops made using toxic ingredients, they are also low quality, which is why some of them never even last longer than a single camping trip! However, eco friendly flip flops are generally made from 100% recycled materials--from things like recycled tires, natural recycled rubber, and cork. There are even all natural vegan flip flops options available.

So, if you are starting to become a little more eco conscious when it comes to your summer footwear fashion, then here are some reasons why eco-friendly flip flops are in right now;

Sustainably Sourced - Aside from high-quality durable materials, many eco-friendly products are sustainably sourced, which is key to reducing the carbon footprint. Look for statements like ‘locally sourced’ and ‘all natural products’ to discover items with made with renewable resources and that have a lower impact on the environment.

Transparency and Fair Wages - Shoe making is an art. The people making them are craftsman and should receive an equitable wage. Mass produced, cheap shoes are often made by people working in hazardous conditions, upwards of 14 hours a day, while living in severe poverty. Eco-friendly based businesses, on the contrary, are concerned about the welfare of their employees, pay a fair wage, in conjunction with remaining transparent when it comes to their eco-friendly shortcomings.

Comfortability - Off the shelf shoes are generally mass produced and designed to be a sort of one size fits all solution. In contrast, eco-friendly shoes, such as the ones hand crafted in downtown Los Angeles by our highly skilled team of artisans at COMUNITYmade, are made to be true to fit. Shoes made with care, like many eco-friendly flip flop brands, will fit your feet better and, therefore, be more comfortable. 

These are just a few of the reasons why eco-friendly flip flops are becoming so popular. Not only do they offer a solution to a worldwide environmental crisis by helping to reduce waste and plastic buildup in our oceans, but they employ local people at fair wages.

So, instead of grabbing that $3 pair of flip flops that you know isn’t going to last the season, try taking a look at these awesome hand-made slides instead!

Slides have quickly become the newest flip flop trend, and these handcrafted beauties from COMUNITYmade are not only eco-friendly and sustainably sourced, but they are a timeless fashion item that will be sure to last for years!

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