Vivobarefoot, a Uk footwear brand, has attained B Corp status. Having obtained this form of recognition the brand vows to not only be sustainable but also become regenerative. 

The certified B Corp companies are scored on assessments of their environmental and social performances. They are required to provide full disclosure to their stakeholders and their consumers. After the brand secured a score of 98.8 out of 100, Vivo is ambitious to inspire greater changes not only within its own supply chain but also to those in the footwear sector.

Galahad Clark, the CEO of Vivo, stated that the industry was full of corporate greenwashing and needed to be radically refined. He further stated that the footwear brands across the world were too focused on unrealistic profit margins and are doing what they believe was little harm. 

The B Corp status, in the industry is viewed as a golden standard certification and underlines the tenacious approach to making changes in the eye of sustainability.

Clark commented that making sustainable shoes out of sustainable materials wasn’t going to cut it, especially when those shoes have no end-of-life purpose and end up in landfills. He stated that due to these reasons their starting point wasn’t shoe making but was bare-foot-wear. She explained how the regeneration and restoration of physical health and constant development in the new manufacturing process and materials was the only way to become regenerative and not just sustainable.

The company recently launched the world’s first resale platform, called RevVIvo. The platform aims to reduce the vast volume of shoes that end up in landfills every year.

The company claims to take a set ahead in 2021, with the help of 3D shoe printing services that will enable consumers to purchase shoes that made to order. With this new model in place, there will be no scope for excess stock and will not cause hindrance as products are made on-demand.

Emma Hamilton-Foster, Vivobarefoot’s regenerative sustainability director, stated that sustainability has a buzzword and an excuse for many brands to tick rather than being a genuine concern that requires to be addressed. 

She continued to state that many brands are also falling into the trap of the great carbon distraction and think that is enough to save the planet. She further added that they have been calling people everywhere to stope accepting sustainability greenwashing and start demanding radical action to address the real problems that regeneration can fix.

As the company environmental impact have radically reduced they have also attempted to use algae in a bio-based range of shoes.