Patagonia Alkali Sandals – More Comfort, Less Environmental Impact

These are the Patagonia Alkali Sandals. They look like regular jesus sandals, but look again. What may seem like just parts of the design are actually well thought out features, which adhere to Patagonia’s business values (more on that later).

How are you making a social and environmental choice by purchasing and wearing these jesus sandals? Let’s list them down:

• The rubber and rope espadrille soles are stitch-attached to the rest of the sandal for strength and durability. That means these sandals were manufactured using less solvents and adhesives, which are often harmful to the environment.
• The rubber outsole is 20% recycled.
• The lining is made of leather and suede, materials that were chosen specifically for their ability to adapt to the natural shape of your feet.
• The cushioned EVA sole is not only made for all-day wearing, but is also made of 15% recycled materials.

Patagonia shoes and apparel are always made in this fashion – products that are “the best, yet cause no unnecessary harm”. They make things not just for profit; to this company, business is supposed to “inspire solutions to the environmental crisis”.

The Patagonia Alkali Sandals are the embodiment of that mission statement. The sandals are both comfortable and stylish, and people who have bought them have said that they can walk in them all day. They’re obviously a great product, but they’re so much more: the materials and the manufacturing processes used in creating them are eco-friendly and they make consumers more aware of their environmental impact.

If only all companies thought this way.

Our shopping choices have more consequences than we think. The Patagonia Alkali Sandals are available on Zappos.com for $72.00 (marked down from $90.00). Check out more Patagonia products here.