Sustainably Made Since 2011

1. Research and Development

OESH committed to make shoes that were good for our planet long before it was fashionable.

When we made our very first pair of shoes in 2011, we recognized that the best way to reduce both carbon emissions and waste is to simplify the manufacturing process and keep components and materials to a minimum. That’s because 97% of the carbon footprint of a typical pair of shoes comes from the multi-stage manufacturing process (68%) and processing the materials that are used (29%).

Some shoe companies advertise their use of certain natural or recycled materials, but when manufactured into shoes, these can actually have a net negative effect on the environment. Whereas, before OESH decides to use any material–whether natural, synthetic, or recycled–we first evaluate the carbon emissions required for processing or recycling. We also consider how the processed material could potentially further contaminate the environment either during use and/or at its end-of-life. If a material is not good for the planet, it’s not good enough for OESH. In addition, OESH is constantly innovating and creating new technologies and processing abilities through our award-winning research, which has been generously supported by National Science Foundation grants. Here are a few of our current projects:

a. Recycling

In partnership with raw materials giant Huntsman, we just completed a study showing that our amazing 3D printed soles can be shredded at the end of the shoe’s life cycle and reused to make new soles with NO drop in performance properties. PLEASE SEE HUNTSMAN PRESS RELEASE HERE. OESH’s 3D printed soles, when recycled, retain identical functional properties as those using virgin raw material. Best of all, our 3D printed soles are potentially recyclable numerous times and still retain all of OESH’s extraordinary health and wellness benefits for you.

INTERESTED IN RECYCLING YOUR 3D PRINTED OESH?

Email service@OESHshoes.com to learn about our amazing Recycling and Sustainability initiatives!

b. Hemp

We’re working with researchers at the University of Virginia and with the Virginia Coalition of Hemp Growers to develop a U.S. grown hemp yarn for our locally made 3D printed shoes to replace the U.S. grown cotton that we’re currently using.

c. Plant-Based Spandex

In partnership with Dupont, another large raw materials supplier and the inventor of spandex branded as Lycra, we’re researching a sustainable plant-based replacement for spandex that has all the same desirable properties but requires substantially less carbon emissions to produce. If all tests well, we’ll be knitting this new material into our 3D shoe uppers in our next overseas production. We commit to continuing our efforts to create new and better shoe manufacturing methods to make the world’s most healthy shoes. Healthy by Design means healthy for both people and the planet.

2. Fewer components

The typical shoe contains “65 discrete parts requiring 360 processing steps for assembly”. But our research has shown that when it comes to healthy shoe design, less is more. These unnecessary parts, which big shoe companies advertise as “features,” are not based on scientific evidence. In fact research shows that many of these extra parts are actually harmful by abnormally increasing impact on your joints. This is why a typical OESH shoe contains less than six basic parts, requiring less than twelve processing steps–OESH greatly reduces impact, not just on your joints, but on the environment, too!

3. Sustainable singular sole material

A typical non-OESH sole is made up of multiple materials that have to be processed or glued together. That multi-step process is energy intensive, often with toxic additives, primers and/or adhesives, that cannot be recycled or separated at the end of the shoe’s life. The OESH sole is made 100% of a unique elastomer material, eliminating these energy-intensive processes.

4. Zero EVA

The typical shoe contains ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam in its midsole because EVA has cushioning properties, which has long been assumed to reduce impact on our joints. However, our research has shown just the opposite – that EVA and other types of cushioning materials used by other shoe companies actually increases impact on the joints, which is disastrous for joint health. EVA cushioning is not only hard on the joints. EVA foam production is energy-intensive, requiring a multi-step production process and hundreds of gallons of water. It also has a high percentage of material that cannot be reused and must be discarded (“scrap rate”). In addition, EVA foam adheres poorly to other materials and so requires further energy-intensive processes to bond to other parts of the shoe (see number 5 below).

Finally, EVA foam does not biodegrade or decompose in a landfill, primarily because of the vinyl (itself a combination of chlorine and petrochemicals), and it is not recyclable. Instead of EVA foam, OESH uses a sole material that is good for our bodies and good for our planet. Our OESH high-rebound, non-vinyl sole reduces impact on the joints. Our soles are made from an easily processed elastomer spring material manufactured in a simple one-step process with minimal heat, scrap and water. All our soles either readily decompose in a landfill (our molded shoes) or are 100% recyclable (our 3D printed shoes).

5.  Zero-waste knitted shoe upper

Most shoe companies cut their uppers out of fabric, which creates a lot of fabric scraps. OESH was one of the first shoe companies to begin knitting shoe uppers, which dramatically reduces excess fabric. However, most shoes companies that knit uppers still have to trim the edges where the upper attaches to the sole. Thanks to OESH’s newest three-dimensional knitting process, we have been able to develop manufacturing processes that require NO fabric trimming, resulting in ZERO waste of material. Our 3D knitting process also allows us to fashion a sock-like upper that conforms to the natural shape of the foot, making it noticeably more comfortable than other brands.

6. Non-toxic sole attachment

One of the most toxic, energy-consuming parts of shoe manufacturing is bonding the shoe upper material to the sole. The typical shoe manufacturing process starts with abrading the sole with sanding, applying a solvent, and then applying two coats of a chemical primer separated by heating in heat tunnels before a final adhesive coat is applied and heated again. Not only is this multi-step process energy-intensive, it exposes workers to dust particles and toxic VOC’s. In contrast, OESH uppers are created in a safe environment, attached to the sole either with hand stitching (crochet actually!), rivets, or with a one-step water-based, non-toxic, VOC-free adhesive – without any maker exposure to sanding, solvents, or primers.