Sustainability
Sustainable production and consumption is our collective responsibility.
We march forward freely, knowing all our footprints are in harmony.
Sustainability practices in the fashion industry have a lot to do with how things are made but an even bigger part of the puzzle is the excess of items created. The waste of energy, resources and material is most detrimental. We believe in manufacturing the goods that are required. Manufacturing in large batches may reduce the per pair production cost but leaves a lot of extra unsold product that then gets marked down repeatedly and eventually dumped in landfills or burned; adding significant pollution to our planet. That’s why we are part of the slow fashion movement, we believe this is the only way to consume responsibly.
Your Manolita shoes are made to live with you for years to come, when we purchase items based on how long we will wear them we are intuitively choosing the most sustainable option.
In 2019 we got to thinking of how we could use recycled materials in our shoes and the answer was right in front of us. Any high heel you currently own is made with either plastic or metal to give you those extra inches – ours were no different. So why not use discarded pipes from construction sites? They were already the same cylindrical shape we needed and definitely sturdy. We set to work on a prototype that we then covered in leather and that’s how the Naked Bea and Naked Public were born. We are aware that there’s more to do and that this is just a first step (pun intended!) so stay tuned as we continue to expand on this concept.
When we first set out to make shoes in a different, much slower pace, a lot of factories said no. The great thing about that is that when you do get a yes, those people become family. Our factories in the state of São Paulo are privately owned and most importantly, their workers are ethically employed. These are people who have inherited their craft from generations before them, it isn’t just a job – it’s a calling. And every time we are there, we learn from them and let them guide us in the beautiful process that is shoe making.
Back to our original point about not making more shoes than we think can find good, loving homes… there may be times where a shoe you are interested in isn’t available. We have a “Made to Order” option where that particular item is made just for you and shipped 30 days later.
