What's in Your Sneakers?

Every step we take leaves a footprint. Not just on the ground, but on the planet.

The global footwear industry produces more than 24 billion pairs of shoes every year. ⁽¹⁾

Most of them end up in landfills and take centuries to decompose. Understanding what's inside our sneakers is the first step toward making them sustainable.

Average shoe lifespan

Click on each shoe type for details

Hidden Water Footprint

It takes

of water to produce one pair of jeans. ⁽⁴⁾

That's roughly 26 days of a single person's domestic water use. ⁽⁵⁾

1,890

Used only for drinking, that would satisfy the daily water consumption requirement of an average person for 1,890 days (more than 5 years).

That water could be used to grow 17 kilograms (37 pounds) of tomatoes. ⁽⁶⁾

CO₂ Emissions

A Pair of Sneakers

A pair of sneakers generates about 13.6 kilograms (30 pounds) of CO₂ emissions, which is the equivalent of keeping a 100-watt light bulb on for a week. ⁽¹⁾

0.0

Textile Purchases

According to a 2020 European Parliament report, textile purchases in the EU generate an average of 270 kilograms (595 pounds) of CO₂ emissions per person each year, which equals keeping 20 100-watt light bulbs on for a week. ⁽⁷⁾

The fashion/fast fashion industry is responsible for about 10% of global CO₂ emissions annually. ⁽⁸⁾

Material disintegration times ⁽¹⁾

Natural materials (wool, cotton)

25-80 Yrs

Leather Shoes

25-40 Yrs

Rubber Shoes

25-80 Yrs

Synthetic materials made from plastics (polyester, nylon)

1000 Yrs

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

550

600

650

700

750

800

850

900

950

1000

The most typical material composition of regular shoes⁽⁹⁾

with years needed for biodegradation ⁽¹⁰⁾

Hover

over different parts of the sneaker to learn about the typical material composition of regular shoes (9) and their biodegradation times (10).

Click

on different parts of the sneaker to explore the eco alternatives.

Disclaimer 1: These figures are broad estimates. Actual degradation depends on environmental conditions, such as sunlight, oxygen, temperature, and microbial activity. In landfills, where oxygen is limited, plastics may persist much longer.

Disclaimer 2: The listed uses represent the most common applications of each material in typical shoe manufacturing. Actual material distribution varies depending on shoe type, brand, and design purpose.

Small steps, big impact

One pair of eco sneakers won't change the world, but millions of small steps in the right direction can reshape the footprint of an entire industry. Every step counts.

In one sustainable footwear study, an eco model's carbon footprint was reduced by about 83.5%. ⁽¹⁾

0.0%

100%

A single pair of sneakers can take a millennium to fade. In the time it takes one synthetic shoe to decompose, civilizations rise and fall. But change doesn't have to take a thousand years.

Rethink Style
for a Better Tomorrow

Imagine a future where fashion doesn't outlive its wearer. Choose materials that walk lightly on Earth and make sure our footprints lead somewhere better.