Amsterdam: Fashion for Good introduces a major initiative named ‘Closing the Footwear Loop’, uniting 14 leading brands to tackle circularity challenges in the footwear industry, aiming to transition towards a sustainable, circular economy and reduce waste in footwear manufacturing.
Fashion for Good, a pioneering force in sustainable fashion innovation, has launched a substantial initiative named “Closing the Footwear Loop” in Amsterdam. This initiative brings together 14 prominent brands in the footwear sector, aiming to address the intricate challenges of circularity within the industry. The collaborative project seeks to transition footwear from a linear “take-make-dispose” model to a more sustainable circular economy, thus driving innovation throughout the value chain.
The brands involved in this initiative include well-known names such as adidas, DEICHMANN, Dr. Martens, Inditex, and Puma, among others. Each participant brings their existing circularity programmes to the collective effort, reflecting a growing recognition of the urgent need for sustainable practices in this sector.
Footwear production contributes significantly to global waste, with approximately 23.8 billion pairs of shoes produced each year. The complexities inherent in footwear manufacturing—typically involving over 60 components such as fabrics, plastics, rubber, and adhesives—complicate the implementation of circular practices. As a result, nearly 90% of footwear ends up in landfills, highlighting the industry’s pressing waste management challenges.
Katrin Ley, Managing Director of Fashion for Good, commented, “The footwear industry stands at a critical turning point. With billions of shoes produced annually and 90% ending up in landfills, ‘Closing the Footwear Loop’ represents our most ambitious effort yet to reimagine how we design, use, and dispose of shoes. By bringing together 14 leading brands, we’re not just addressing a challenge—we’re creating a blueprint for systemic change.” This perspective underscores the initiative’s focus on collaborative innovation to overcome existing barriers in the industry.
The programme will specifically address key intervention areas including the need for improved end-of-life infrastructure and unified approaches to circularity in design. As part of its objectives, the project will provide detailed mapping of European footwear waste streams by 2025, offering insights into volumes, materials, and recyclability. Furthermore, it aims to establish a roadmap for circular footwear design in partnership with circular.fashion, aiming for guidelines on material selection and product durability by 2025.
Additionally, the initiative plans to validate new end-of-use innovations, conducting trials geared towards practical implementation and industry-wide adoption of recycled material outputs by 2026. The collaborative aspect of this effort is supported by ecosystem partners such as The Footwear Collective and the Global Footwear Future Coalition.
Fashion for Good continues to lead the charge in collaborative innovation within the fashion industry, connecting brands, manufacturers, and innovators to drive sustainable change. The initiative “Closing the Footwear Loop” exemplifies this commitment, aiming to reformulate how footwear is designed, manufactured, and ultimately disposed of, in an increasingly environmentally conscious marketplace.
Source: Noah Wire Services
