ColumnWe bet you are so ready for spring’s easy and breezy fashions, sunny days and lighter footwear! Check out our top picks for this season’s stylish and sustainable sneakers in this edition of On Trend, and get your sporty chic on.

1. Marcos Sneaker by MOVMT

These super cute and trendy sneakers are made from organic cotton canvas and vegan soles, making them animal and earth friendly. Wear them with your favorite cropped jeans to show off your ankles, or don them with your favorite sweatpants for a lazy day.

$64

2. Earthkeepers Chukka Boot by Timberland

Stylish and edgy, these cool and chic sneakers from Timberland are made from recycled materials, and crafted to the highest degree of quality. They’ll look great with jeans, leggings or even a pair of 90’s inspired overalls.

$100

3. runAround Freedom by Sole Rebels

More on the shabby chic side, these sneakers are made from hand-spun and hand-loomed cotton woven by artisans with recycled rubber soles. They are completely vegan, and come in 3 colors; grey (pictured above), blue and red.

$85

4. Brill Aqua V by Po-Zu

Super comfortable and soft on your feet, these sneakers are probably the most eco-friendly shoe you could possibly find. They are made from organic, vegan leather, with soles made up of coconut husks and natural latex – crazy, right?

$130

5. DKNY x Pony Limited Edition Sneaker

These sneakers are the most amazing throwback to the ’80s infused with just the perfect amount of edginess. Made in NY, this collaboration between the two big apple labels is sure to be a hit this Spring – coming to stores soon!

Related on EcoSalon

Now & Then: The History Of the Sneaker

11 Ways to Rock Cool Sneakers While Still Looking Fashionable

8 Tips to Find the Best Sneakers for Walking

The post Super Sweet Sustainable Sneakers for Spring (Because Warmer Weather IS Coming!): On Trend appeared first on EcoSalon.

We’re happy to see so many wearable and fashionable eco friendly shoes popping up all over the place, especially these zany and unique ones. Featuring shoes made from recyclable waste, shoes that can bloom into gorgeous flowers once you no longer want to wear them, and even shoes that turn into a tent (above image!), our top 5 quirky and cool eco shoes are getting off on the right foot when it comes to innovative design.

OAT Shoes That Bloom

These supersleek and comfortable sneakers are completely biodegradable, from the hemp and organic cotton used in the uppers to the plant-based plastics that break down completely within 6 months. OAT shoes carry a sheet of paper infused with a wildflower mix in the tongue of the sneaker, meaning that you can bury the shoes once they wear out and watch them bloom into gorgeous blossoms of Snapdragons, Daisies, Black-eyed Susans, and Sweet Alyssum!

Walking Shelter by Sibling

These super quirky but unusually useful shoes essentially act as a human shelter stored within a pair of sneakers. A pink tent emerges from the net pockets at the back of the shoe, expanding to form and enclosure that relies on the wearer for support instead of tent stakes. Bizarre but cool, these sneakers are perfect if you’re stuck in the rain—maybe they just need some eye-holes!

Images: OATShoes, All Black,Hetty Rose, Afterheels, Sibling

Related on EcoSalon:

 3 Fab New Eco-Friendly Shoe Collections: Filling the Footwear Gap

Love Jules Leather: Handmade Shoes for the Savvy Schismatic

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7 ways to be planet and body friendly while in London for the Olympics.

London is this summer’s hottest destination – maybe not for the heat, but indeed for the buzz! Whether you’re heading to the UK for Olympic festivities or are passing through any time of the year, it’ll do your body and social consciousness a favor to get going with the following seven suggestions.

Run Like a Royal

What’s free and a fantastic way to stay in shape? Outdoor jogging. MapMyRun.com is the ultimate resource for not only getting in a good workout but also seeing a city from a completely different perspective. The site provides you with visual tracks that other runners have trod before. You can also create your own route, tailoring it according to your distance and terrain requirements. Check out the nearly 9,000 routes already mapped out in London.

Hydrate Organically

Need a morning fix that will keep your energy levels high for the rest of the day? Sip on a refreshing and hydrating organic vegetable and fruit juice from Planet Organic. The market has a juice and smoothie bar with plenty of vegan, vegetarian and organic options to satisfy a breakfast, lunch or dinner appetite. There are locations in Devonshire Square, Muswell Hill, Islington, Torrington Place, and Westbourne Grove, so there is always one at a reasonable distance. Each location offers food, natural beauty, and health and well-being products.

Eat Kindly

London is emerging as an epicenter to the raw and vegan food movement in Europe, but before these venues were established, hailing strong were the numerous farmers markets spread throughout the city. Berwick Street Market is one of the city’s oldest. It has been running in Soho since as far back as 1778. It is open Monday-Saturday, 9am-6pm. Marylebone Farmers Market is also a fantastic market that has a something for everyone. Going beyond produce and general goods, the market has stalls offering prepared food from a variety of cuisines. Both the Berwick and Marylebone markets have organic options. Find a full directory of markets in London, check out official London Farmers Market page.

If sit-down dining is more your style, support local restaurants with your patronage and enjoy the city’s take on food fit for a health nut. Some of the standouts include:

• Saf (63 Kensington High St, London W8 5SE)
• VitaOrganic (74 Wardour Street  London, Greater London W1F 0TE)
• InSpiral Lounge (Camden High Street, London NW1 8QS)
• Bonnington Café (11 Vauxhall Grove, London Borough of Lambeth, London SW8 1TD)
• 42Raw (6 Burlington Gardens, City of Westminster, London W1S)
• Wild Food Café (1st floor  14 Neil’s Yard, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9DP)
• Vx (73 Caledonian Road, London N1 9BT)
• Green Note (106 Parkway, London, NW1 7AN)
• Ms. Cupcake (408 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, London SW9 8LF)
• Greenz (5 Station Rise, Tulse Hill, London SE27 9BW)

While the Olympics may be enough of a party, if you are looking to entertain or partake in a clean-eating cleanse while traveling, contact Raw Fairies, a no-cook food delivery service whose menu can be tailored to your needs. Meals include juices, salads, entrees and desserts! Rainforest Creations, too, is a healthy catering alternative that offers modern cuisine with an organic flair.

Strike a Pose

Find your inner Zen in the chaos of London and head to one of the most comprehensive studios in the city – Tri Yoga – for a £20, 2-week access to all of its yoga and pilates classes. Operating since 2000, the studio currently offers a list of bodywork therapies, including massage, acupuncture, reiki, reflexology, and psychotherapy. Find Tri Yoga in Primrose Hill, Chelsea Soho, and Covent Garden.

With locations in Notting Hill since 1993 and Islington since 2001, The Life Centre is a fixture in London’s yoga scene and draws a loyal clientele. It also cuts visitors a break, offering unlimited yoga at an introductory price of £20 for 20 consecutive days.

If you have special needs or are traveling with children, check out the Special Yoga Centre. The studio supports children and those with physical limitations, gladly offering 20% concessions to those who qualify as well as community payment classes.

Park Yourself

Grab a blanket, a friend, and a few sandwiches and spend the day looking up at the sky rather than at a blur of traffic. London is full of green space and spending an afternoon at the park is a cheap and fuss-free way to escape the city without ever leaving it. With so many parks to choose from, Time Out London has jumped the gun and organized a directory. Check out the list of parks here, which are categorized under “local parks,” “public gardens,or “hidden oases of green,” and never bore of nature. Challenge accepted.

Reduce Your Footprint

Ditch the taxi, car, bus, metro, or any engine-run mode of transportation and opt for a cleaner way to explore the city. The London Bicycle Tour Company provides daily Central London and West End bike tours, each for £18.95. Flat Tire Bike Tours is also a popular service that offers Royal London and River Thames bike and walking tours. Get a workout and an education all at once!

Shop Friendly

Do London in style, eco-friendly style that is. The city boasts a selection of boutiques and shops with fair-trade, conscious clothing and accessories.

Equa is a small Islington boutique that sells organic, fair-trade clothing from approximately 20 different designers. For children and infants, Green Baby houses organic and fairly-trade baby and mother goods, from clothing to beauty to nursery items. The Family Tree sells lamps, shades, hooks, tables, and jewelry, all of which are made ethically and locally. The store also carries People Tree, a fair-trade clothing store in operation since 2001.

Looking for the perfect shoes to go with that fair-trade blouse? Terra Plana is a shoe company that uses recyclable products. It compensates for its CO2 emissions through donations and uses vegetable leather, leather without chromium, and its self-created “E-Leather,” which is a mix of leather and textile fibers. Terra Plana has a store in Covent Garden, Brushfield Street and Westfield.

For more brands with an eco-friendly backstory, check out the annual Eco Design Fair’s directory of designers. Each listed designer incorporates the following elements in its creations: recycled/recyclable, organically grown, fair-traded, non-toxic, low energy-consuming in production/use, and cruelty-free.

Web portals dedicated to bringing eco-friendly products to the UK are My Eco Store and Ethical Superstore. Both are stocked with just about any household appliance and clothing item. Browse through their inventories and enjoy the vast selection.

Image: Australia Photos, Abigail Sylvester, nakedsky

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Seven sustainably savvy wedge heels, perfect for wearing to all those outdoor summer parties.

Summer soirées are often held on lawns, which require that you choose your footwear wisely. Trust me, I’ve tried to wear pumps to BBQs, but those heels just sink right into the grass. Wedges are comfortable and won’t slide down into the grass, and they happen to be very on trend for summer as well. Here are seven of our sustainably savvy favorites.

1. Naya Eternal

This summer is all about happy, bright color. These wedge sandals from Naya have a super flattering shape and come in a range of delicious colors, including this mustardy yellow. The woven detailing on the heel makes them feel summery and special. Made from vegetable tanned leather.

$145, Planet Shoes

2. Cri de Coeur Nico in Black/Gold

If you’re in a happy disco-sort of mood, these open-toe cut-out booties are the perfect shoes for summer festivities. Inspired by Andy Warhol’s muse, the ‘Nico’ features contrasting metallic panels and a partially covered wedge. Handmade in Los Angeles from all vegan materials such as sustainable wood, ultra-suede made from recycled plastic, and eco-PU.

$380, Cri de Coeur

3. OlsenHaus Mrs Roper-Red Print

This fun summer shoe perfectly channels two of summer’s big trends: bright color and prints. It will look great with anything from a casual summer dress to a bikini. OlsenHaus shoes are always 100% vegan and manufactured according to Fair Trade and ethical business practices. These are made from faux suede, cork and printed cotton fabric.

$265, OlsenHaus

4. Marais Oxford Espadrille

Marais designers Catherine Chen and Haley Boyd design shoes that are fit for girls that spend a lot of time on the move. With this shoe, they’ve put a spin on a canvas oxford by adding an espadrille platform and side cut-outs. Featuring a comfortable 3-inch heel, an open toe, lace-up closure, and matching grosgrain trim around base, these espadrilles come in four basic, wearable colors.

$125, Marais

5. Calleen Cordero Maria Wedge

For a slight down-to-earth vibe, try these Maria wedges by Calleen Cordero. The nude color scheme makes them go with pretty much everything, making them an instant wardrobe staple. We love the wood heel, which is easy to walk in too, because of the platform in the front, and the solid brass buckle details give it some edge. Handcrafted in North Hollywood, California.

$459, Calleen Cordero

6. Rhino Wedge from Mink Shoes

These fun, yet highly wearable platform wedges feature a stacked bamboo heel and is made from recycled fabrics. Mink Shoes adheres to a strict policy of animal preservation, protection, and safeguarding in its designs. Each shoe is extremely unique and is offered in limited editions. We love the cute handmade bamboo charm on the ankle strap.

$430, Moo Shoes

7. Cork Wedge by Swedish Hasbeens

Inspired by vintage sports and great athletes of the past, these cork wedges from Swedish Hasbeens are made from naturally dyed leather and cork — which is a renewable material. They are a great way to subtly incorporate that sportswear trend into your summer wardrobe, but will look great with feminine dresses as well.

$211, Swedish Hasbeens

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Nine ways to wear one of spring’s hottest trends: ankle-length pants.

Ankle-length pants have been seen on the runways of fashion darlings like Isabel Marant for a few seasons now. This spring, it’s the hottest pant shape. A definite love-it-or-hate-it trend, ankle-length pants are easy to pull off, if you know how. The secret: picking the right shoes. We’ve done the work for you and found nine cropped pants and shoes that will make each look a home-run. Pair with a simple tee and a cropped jacket or long blazer and you’re wearing the spring trend as it should be.

Red is one of the hottest hues this spring when it comes to pants. Get inspired by Isabel Marant’s latest runway collection and pair your skinny ankle-length jeans with black pointed-toe pumps. It’s a fail-safe look.

Eileen Fisher Organic Stretch Twill Slim Ankle Jean in Saffron, $178, Eileen Fisher / Novacas Vegan Olivia Pump, on sale for $39.99, Moo Shoes

Take a walk on the wild side by pairing cropped cigarette jeans from Edun with cruelty-free vegan loafers in leopard print. All hues of pink – from soft pastel to hot fuchsia – are very on trend for spring.

Cropped Cigarette Jean, $198, Edun / Leopard-print Loafers, on sale for approx. $97, Beyond Skin

Most people will look best in a pair of skinny ankle-length pants, simply because they are more flattering and tend to accentuate the curve of the calves. Play with another of spring’s trends – stripes – in these organic cotton leggings by Feral Childe and pink vegan pinup-style sandals with a striped cork wedge heel.

Feral Childe Organic Cotton Chain Link Legging, on sale for $69, Jute & Jackfruit / Vegan Wedge Pindowns, on sale for $99, Fluevog Shoes

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, prints are huge for spring. Combine these galaxy/flower print cropped pants with yellow strappy sandals by Cri de Coeur and you’ll nail another hot trend – monochrome.

Low-waisted Skinny Pant, on sale for $112.50, Suno NY / Elegance T-strap Vegan Sandals, on sale for $50, Cri de Coeur

Strike the perfect balance between casual cool and street-savvy elegance by pairing Stewart + Brown’s Organic cotton sweats with shiny black rubber platform heels by Melissa. Top it off with a long black blazer and you may just get away with wearing sweat pants to a fancy dinner.

Stewart + Brown Terry Sweat Pants, $133, Stewart + Brown / Melissa Amazonas Platform Sandals, on sale for $67, Tobi

For a more avant-garde take on the ankle-length pant trend, pair these Organic wool trousers by designer Bruno Pieter’s new line Honest By, with a pair of vegan creepers. Keeping the look simple in all black keeps you from looking like a kid who outgrew his pants.

Adjustable Organic Wool Trousers, approx. $608, Honest By / Novacas Vegan Oxfords, $129.95, Compassion Couture

Keep things easy and breezy by pairing loose-fitting cropped pants by Dace with elegant architectural slingback heels. Add a lace top, sand-colored blazer and or loose-knit sweater and you’ll look like the nature-babe you are.

Dace Timothy Pants, on sale for $122.95, Future:Standard/ Clio Ankle Strap Vegan Wedges, $380, Cri de Coeur

If you’re ready to be totally daring with this trend, pair this printed jumpsuit by Edun with a pair of graphic black and white sandals. You’re guaranteed to turn some heads. Chances are, though, that this look will only work on amazonian model types.

Yoruba Print Jumpsuit, $489, Edun / Charm Bib-front Sandal, on sale for $42.50, Cri de Coeur

The post How To Wear It: Ankle-Length Pants appeared first on EcoSalon.

Recycled saree fabrics bring new meaning to a well-heeled existence.

Following on the heels of Louise Lagosi’s in-depth investigation into the destiny of cast-off clothing, it seems fitting that a query into summer sandals of the endlessly chic variety would be essential fashion beach reading.

I never know how to identify the perfectly stylish sandal that will last beyond one season. Given the wear and tear that I put my trusty shoes through, a durable heel with some amazing flirty detailing seems like the impossible find. Enter Mohop Shoes and their new ready-to-wear Saree Collection. Crafted out of recycled saree fabrics from a bold non-profit enterprise in India as well as sustainably farmed Pará rubber tree wood, these interchangeable lace-ups are all about empowerment for the user and everyone along the way.

Designer Annie Mohaupt takes on sustainable fashion in fearless style

Sandals are an age-old fashion staple, and now that the gladiator sandal is old news, it’s time slip on some heels that really take you places, both on foot and in mission. Annie Mohaupt of Mohop Shoes has considered every last detail when it comes to her goal of creating the most eco-friendly shoe available. This architect turned shoe designer has had her toes in the soil from the very beginning, as her upbringing on a small sheep farm one hundred miles west of Chicago primed her for life as a some one attuned to the resourceful use of materials as well as the life cycle of her designs.

Mohop Shoe’s high wedge sandals with recycled saree fabric

When I asked Annie what makes her shoes such knockouts, besides their chic design appeal and the cool versatility of the interchangeable saree ties that easily lace up through elastic loops, she had this to say about each of Mohop’s Saree Collection components:

Recycled Saree Textiles

“The Saree Collection is pretty exciting due to our new collaboration with Jhoole, a non-profit social enterprise in India. Each saree sandal tie is made from re-used sarees, which are brought to life again as colorful, scarf-like ties for our sandals. Indian women receive fair-trade wages for this textile production work, enabling them to support their families and educate their children. Mohop also donates 100 percent of the price for the saree ties towards the construction, maintenance, and training required at the computer lab for girls and women at Jhoole’s new facility in Maheshwar, India.”

Pará Rubber Tree Wood

“Our sandals are composed of wood from Pará rubber trees. Our trees spend the years prior to their pre-footwear life cleaning the atmosphere of CO2. Pará trees are grown on plantations in tropical regions. The trees are tapped just like maple trees for their latex, which is used for rubber production. After twenty-five years or so, the trees can no longer produce latex, so the wood is reused for a secondary purpose: shoes.

Pará rubber tree plantations are an income-generating crop for families in tropical regions, discouraging locals from clear-cutting forestland for livestock or other less-sustainable crops. Rubber wood plantations mimic indigenous tropical forests and provide a natural habitat for plants and animals, some of which are severely threatened or endangered.

The rubber wood undergoes very minimal processing to be carved into footwear, and all scraps and even sawdust is re-used. Our shoe wood is colored with water-based dyes and will eventually decompose naturally (after its life as well-loved shoes). Additionally, most of our other footwear materials and packaging contains recycled content.”  –  Annie Mohaupt

The complex and textured story behind sustainable design is an increasingly important part of the environmentally friendly and conscious fashion equation. In order to reach beyond a checklist of materials and mission guidelines, it seems essential that designers also engage their followers in the process of what it takes to get dressed or accessorized.

Mohop Shoes takes this one step further by making sustainable fashion interactive and even playful in an effort to bring us back to the source of what “well heeled” really means. A display of true wealth comes from both stylish decision-making and ethical fashion awareness. It’s all tied up, no matter how you choose to look at it.

Images: courtesy of Mohop; designer portrait via Archinect

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