One small step at a time

Wildling Shoes founders Anna and Ran Yona believe that feet are naturally healthy and we only need shoes that protect them from the elements. Wildling shoes are therefore designed to disrupt normal foot function as little as possible, allowing the feet to move freely and develop naturally.

Anna and Ran founded the company in 2015 with a mission to provide consumers with a truly sustainable and minimal footwear option. Wildling Shoes uses all sustainably sourced materials and ethical manufacturing practices to minimize its carbon footprint.

I recently caught up with Anna to learn more about the company and its mission. She told me that a source of inspiration for the company was finding shoes for their children. After completing her education at Tel Aviv University, Anna worked in marketing and the couple initially remained rooted in Israel. Their three children grew up barefoot there before the family moved to Germany in 2013. At that point, finding suitable shoes for children used to running around barefoot became the biggest challenge. None of the available models seemed to meet the requirements of freedom of movement, sustainable materials and fair production that inspired the creation of Wildling Shoes.

Read more below for our edited email conversation.

Christopher Marquis: From the beginning, Wildling has worked towards a 100% sustainable supply chain. Why was this important to you? And what were and are some of the challenges in achieving this mission?

Anna Yona: We would have liked to have launched with a 100% sustainable supply chain from the start. But honestly – this is a challenge that we have not been able to solve even after 8 years in business. Turnkey supply chains and material options are a far cry from our ideals, and it takes a lot of time, effort and passion to make changes for the better from the existing structures.

Today, the supply chains for our core textiles are transparent, so we know every step a material goes through in its making – starting with source and cultivation through every processing step through to production. This allows us to improve areas that are having a negative impact, but also to seize the opportunity for positive change. For example, we encourage farmers to switch to regenerative cultivation methods and we work with our production partners to continuously improve working conditions.

Marquis: We hear a lot about delays and disruptions in the global supply chain. Does having a 100% sustainable supply chain have the same problems?

Jonah: Our supply chains are mainly focused on Europe, to ensure high labor standards, keep transport routes short and enable closer cooperation. This regional focus, along with good personal relationships with many of our suppliers, helps us keep our supply chains fairly stable despite disruptions caused by global disruptions.

Marquis: We hear about fast-fashion and how harmful fashion waste is to the environment. How does Wildling try to reduce its environmental impact, from ingredient sourcing to packaging, and to avoid the normal waste of other shoe brands?

Jonah: The negative impact of fashion affects all stages of the product life cycle. It manifests itself in the cultivation of the fibers in pesticide-soaked monocultures or in the production of plastic fibres, in the use of water and chemicals during the processing and dyeing of fabrics, in long transport routes with high emissions, in high social costs due to labor abuse, in energy and water used for washing and care, but also in microplastics that find their way into our ecosystems, and again at the end of a product’s life cycle, when fashion regularly ends up in landfills.

To reduce environmental impact, Wildling must address all stages of a product’s life cycle simultaneously, which is a complex and challenging task. We choose local, natural materials and craftsmanship, leave many fabrics undyed to reduce the use of water and chemicals, specifically test all materials for their quality and durability (longevity is the key to sustainability), and make our products repairable so that they can be worn and enjoyed for a longer period of time. Our packaging is made from recycled cardboard and doubles as a shipping box.

Crucial decisions for sustainability are also made during the planning stages. We plan carefully to avoid overproducing, adjust our production schedule throughout the season and receive small weekly deliveries rather than one large bulk shipment at the start of the season. In this way we avoid the downward price storm that is so typical of fast fashion, forcing customers to buy another product they do not need, at a price that is unsustainable. Our shoes are never out of season and are sold until they are out of stock. We also carefully care for each returned or damaged pair to keep the number of shoes thrown away to an absolute minimum.

Marquis: Can you explain how and why shoes of the minimal type specifically are more environmentally friendly compared to traditional sneakers? How recyclable are Wildling Shoes?

Jonah: A large part of the course towards a more sustainable product can already be set during the design and development process. When designing a shoe, we try to use only the bare minimum of materials – only what is necessary to create a high quality product. That also serves our general idea of ​​what a good shoe is all about – namely “as few shoes as possible”. That way it won’t get in the way of a more natural way of moving.

Wildling is also working on recycling options. We can now recycle used outsoles and make new outsoles (while adding some new material). We are also working on options for textiles. Being able to quickly take back our products and recycle all of their components is one of our bigger goals for the coming years.

Marquis: Why did Wildling pursue B Corp certification? What did you learn during the certification process? Did you change anything in the company as a result?

Jonah: B Corp provides a good framework to take a critical look at different areas of the company itself in terms of public interest and impact. The B Corp Assessment – accessible free of charge and recommended for every company – helps to guide and structure this critical investigation into your own organization.

To become a B Corp, Wildling had to go through a rigorous process. The effort and demands are great. B Corp certification not only looks at individual products, but also at the company’s management, employees, society, the environment and customers. It is ultimately about hard, bare facts and figures.

By completing the assessment, we were able to see where we have already made good progress (e.g. with regard to our work culture and supply chain management) and where we need to improve (e.g. with regard to documentation and measurement). This has led to the preparation of a sustainability report, the collection and analysis of data at all levels of the company. The report is now in its final stages and will help us document our progress to the team and anyone interested in transparency.

Marquis: Certified B companies must meet strict criteria around people, the planet and profit. How does Wildling support its employees, supply chain associates and customers?

Jonah: Wildling has an entire team of people working to create, shape and support our work culture. It includes both the concrete, tangible parts of our collaboration (such as flexible working hours, remote working, vertical career opportunities, a fair salary concept, etc.) and the soft, less tangible parts (such as how we communicate with each other). others, how we give and receive feedback and how we enable workplace regeneration).

As for the employees in our supply chain, we have two people who are committed to improving social standards, with our focus now on the footwear and outsole manufacturing facilities. The team regularly conducts a risk assessment to rule out harmful conditions. We strive to build good, close relationships with all production teams, to work together on an equal footing, to share information and to continuously improve working conditions. To that end, we hold regular workshops with those teams, set goals and work together to achieve them.

As a direct-to-consumer brand, we also maintain close relationships with our customers. We strive to be as open and transparent as possible about our actions and goals, taking our customers and the community along on the journey. They are an inherent part of our drive to become truly sustainable and regenerative and so we rely on them to provide us with regular feedback on how to improve the function, benefit and longevity of our shoes. We also need their cooperation to return the shoes to us for repair and return the shoes to us once they have reached the end of their useful life so that hopefully we can return the product components for another use soon.

Marquis: What does the future hold for Wilding Shoes?

Jonah: Our purpose and goal as an organization is to find ways in which we can act in such a way that we not only minimize harm, but also have a positive impact through our actions. The goal is not to maintain and maintain the status quo, but to regenerate, to leave things in a better state than we found them. This concerns all parts of our organization – the entire supply chain, the partnerships and collaborations, the team, the money Wildling generates and how it can distribute it more fairly and finally, of course, the connection with our customers and the impact we can have on their health and well-being. As a guideline, we look at how a balanced ecosystem functions and we try to adapt our way of thinking and acting to those principles. Circular, collaborative, diverse and regenerative – this is what the future looks like for Wildling.