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Originally created for basketball players to prevent ankle injuries, high tops have been in use since Spalding’s early designs of 1907. However, in the last 100 years or so athletics shoe brands have never been admired for their sustainable practices – until now.

French eco footwear brand Veja, founded in 2004 by Sebastian Kopp and Ghislain Morillion, is changing this. They work with small producers from Brazil and France, using organic cottons, wild rubber from the Amazon, vegetable tanned leather, while keeping CO2 emissions low and paying suppliers a fair price.

For AW12 the brand has teamed up with French creative Domino Lattès to create an exclusive range of high top sneakers. Lattès who’s a journalist, blogger, illustrator and artistic director, has designed six different designs inspired by a mixture of vintage, American hip hop, and collegiate prep. The range will be available at Selfridges London, from September.

You won’t see their ad campaigns plastered over billboards – Veja operates on a zero marketing policy, so while the trainers’ fabrication costs are four times more than other brands, they scan still make their product competitive.

Design credibility with an eco soul? That’ll put a spring in your step.

– Walter Ugarkovic

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