When it comes to sustainability in fashion, footwear usually drags its feet. Shoes are little beasts made from a cocktail of materials, adhesives, and components that don’t exactly scream “eco-friendly.” They are just too complex. But then came VEJA, the French sneaker brand that promises to make your feet look good and your conscience feel better. Their minimalistic designs make them perfect for any occasion, all while promising a more sustainable future.
But are they truly sustainable or just greenwashing with a French accent? Let’s take a closer look at VEJA’s sustainability credentials.
Key takeaways
- Transparency: VEJA offers detailed information on its supply chains, materials, prices, and audits. From disclosing supplier lists to publishing contracts with producers, VEJA sets an example of radical transparency in an industry often shrouded in secrecy.
- Workers: VEJA is committed to fair labor. Workers enjoy fair wages, reasonable hours, union representation, and benefits like paid vacation. The brand also works with social reintegration programs, offering logistics roles to people with disabilities or from vulnerable backgrounds.
- Environment: VEJA uses organic cotton, Amazonian rubber, and recycled plastic in its sneakers. The company limits emissions through sea shipping and recyclable packaging. However, VEJA admits its limits, especially regarding natural dyes and petroleum-based synthetics.
- Quality and Craftsmanship: VEJA sneakers are well made and durable. Their factories operate under high manufacturing standards and perform regular physical and mechanical tests on the products.
Transparency
In Portuguese, VEJA means “look,” which is not a coincidence as the brand invites you to look deeper than the flashy exteriors and into the real story behind each sneaker. Unlike many brands that just talk the sustainability talk, VEJA is refreshingly transparent.
They publish supplier lists, chemical test results, audit reports, and even their code of conduct. And not only this, but VEJA also openly shares its limits: from its struggles with natural dyes to its transition away from vegetable-tanned leather due to quality and cost issues. Instead of using the vague and fluffy “we care about the planet” script, VEJA’s communications read like a sustainability progress report… with footnotes.
They’re also B Corp certified. This is not just another badge, but a recognition that the brand has gone through (and passed) an exhaustive audit of its entire business model, covering wages, suppliers, team, environment, workplace, and governance.
Workers
VEJA wants you to love your shoes, but also the hands that made them. The brand manufactures in Brazil (and more recently in Portugal through The Aegean Project for the EU market) not because it’s trendy, but for accountability. Producing close to its raw materials allows better oversight, compliance with International Labour Organization (ILO) standards, and a firm commitment to ethical practices.
Factory workers earn fair wages, enjoy paid holidays and regulated working hours (44 hours per week with regulated schedules, and two days off each week). Compare that with horror stories of 16-hour shifts in some Asian factories and you start to get the picture.
VEJA also ensures all suppliers adhere to their code of conduct. Workers receive training on recognizing and reporting unethical practices. And when it comes to logistics? VEJA partners with Log’ins, a social inclusion company that provides work opportunities for vulnerable and disabled people.
Sustainability isn’t just about trees, it’s about people, too. VEJA seems to get that.
Environmental Impact
1. Fabrics and Materials
VEJA doesn’t mess around when it comes to sustainable materials. They use:
- Organic cotton from Brazil and Peru: grown without pesticides and purchased directly from farmer cooperatives at fixed, fair prices. No middlemen. No price rollercoasters.
- Amazonian rubber for their soles: between 20-40% of each sole is made from rubber tapped ethically and sustainably. Since 2004, they’ve bought over 2,600 tons, supporting forest conservation and local incomes.
- Recycled plastics and polyester: used for lining and mesh in sneakers.
- C.W.L. (Corn Waste Leather): a vegan leather alternative made from organic cotton and coated with PU, ricinus oil, and corn starch. It’s 54% bio-based and offers leather-like performance.
2. Transportation and Chemicals
VEJA mainly uses maritime transport to send the sneakers from Brazil to the logistic warehouses. Occasionally, they turn to air shipping. In 2022 and 2023, less than 0.5% of the pairs produced in Brazil were sent by airplane.
They also perform chemical testing on materials to ensure that no hazardous substances sneak their way into the supply chain (see here the chemical tests by VEJA from 2023 until 2024). Their Restricted Substances Policy is strictly enforced across all suppliers.
3. Packaging
Remember unboxing that sleek VEJA pair? The shoebox you opened was Forest Stewardship Council (FSC™) certified, sourced from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits. VEJA limits the use of inks and printing to reduce their impact and ensure their recyclability.
4. Repair and Recycling Initiatives
VEJA isn’t just about making new things, they also believe in making things last. In 2021 they launched a repair and recycling space in Bordeaux (France), which then expanded to Berlin, Madrid, Paris and New York. Since then, thousands of shoes (VEJA and other brands) have been fixed.
And for those beyond repair? VEJA has installed recycling boxes to give old sneakers a second life, whether it’s through art, donations, or something else entirely
Quality and Craftsmanship
Are VEJAs built to last, or are they the kind of sustainable product that falls apart just in time to order a new pair? Good news: VEJA sneakers are not just ethical, they’re durable too. Their factories operate under high manufacturing standards and perform regular physical and mechanical tests on the products.
Based on customer reviews, most pairs stand up to serious walking, city stomping, and style flexing. Which mean that not only they are cool, but very comfortable. As a bonus points, if something does go wrong, their cobbler services are there to stitch, glue, and polish your pair back to life.
When it comes to prices, VEJA sneakers aren’t the cheapest on the market. But there’s a reason for that. Each pair is made using socially and environmentally responsible materials and processes, which makes them about five times more expensive to produce than if they were made in China. So you are paying for quality plus fair wages plus sustainable sourcing plus ethical manufacturing!
Final Thought: The Pomelade’s Favorite
So, is VEJA truly sustainable? They’re not perfect (they admit it). They still use some petroleum-based materials (like synthetic suede) and their dyes aren’t fully natural. But what sets VEJA apart is their honesty, their action-first attitude, and their commitment to continuous improvement.
They don’t do splashy marketing campaigns or celebrity endorsements. Instead, they invest in what matters: better materials, fair labor, and genuine transparency. In a world full of greenwashing, VEJA walks the talk, in very cool sneakers, no less.
So yes, if you’re looking for a sneaker that aligns with your values, looks sharp, and helps rather than harms the world, VEJA is a pretty solid step in the right direction.
VEJA is “THE POMELADE’S FAVORITE” *
*Here is more information on how The Pomelade rates.
Would you pay more for sneakers that are truly sustainable? Let us know in the comments below!