Bared Footwear Sustainability
by Bared Footwear 22/04/2026
by Bared Footwear 22/04/2026
This article was contributed by Bared Footwear.
We create mindfully crafted shoes that are good for you and are committed to choosing better materials and moving the industry forward. Fitted in every pair, you will find our biomechanical footbed and hidden support features. But there is more to us than just shoes. We are busy rethinking footwear for a better future. As Australia’s first B Corp certified footwear label, it is important to us that our shoes are durable but will not outlive us. It is not just about repurposing plastics or offsetting carbon emissions, but about sourcing bio based products and reducing our footprint. We are proud to drive innovation across every aspect of our business to reshape the future of the footwear industry. Our mission is to continue to evolve, question our processes, and do better. We understand this will not happen overnight, though we are committed to being open, honest, and transparent. We would not be us without our community. We work with non profit organisations to empower First Nations peoples and help end world hunger. With a team of passionate individuals working to make our brand equally profitable and sustainable, we are dedicated to preserving and restoring the earth for generations to come. Join us on our mission to do better as we continue to put people and the planet at the heart of how we do things. Our sustainability commitment is not a destination, it is a journey. Our Pillars Our pillars define what matters most to us. They guide every decision we make, from design and materials to the way we do business and our impact on the world. 1. PEOPLE Our vision is to build a business that empowers our team, leads with responsible sourcing, and gives back through meaningful support of community led organisations driving lasting impact. 2. PLANET We are committed to acting as stewards of the planet, ensuring every decision reflects our responsibility to protect and restore it. Climate action cannot wait. If there is a better option for the Earth, we will take it and make a difference now. 3. PRODUCT We create great shoes that fit well and people love to wear. Every design choice considers durability, function, and impact. If the right material does not exist, we seek the innovators creating it. Our internal No Destruction Policy is part of this commitment. We always seek sustainable solutions for Bared stock in our possession that is unsold, damaged, or unwearable, ensuring every product has a responsible end of life pathway. Our customer service team is available seven days a week to find your perfect pair. Just call or chat with us live. Our promise to you is that we will never leave you in shoes you do not love.
We’re proud to share that in 2025 we successfully recertified as a Certified B Corporation, with a significantly improved B Impact Score. This reflects measurable progress in our governance, environmental performance, workplace practices, community engagement and customer impact. B Corp standards evolve over time, and this recertification confirms our commitment to continuous improvement, transparency and using the B Corp framework as a structured tool to guide where we can do better as a business and in the footwear industry.
We publish a Modern Slavery Statement to clearly document risks in our supply chain and how we’re addressing them, with a focus on protecting workers through audits, living wage assessments, supplier standards and improved transparency.
We are proud to have joined the FDRA Waste Management Program in 2022, a program that aims to minimise waste during the footwear production and manufacturing process. Our main factories in China, which produce more than 85% of our shoes, undertook their first year of this program between April 2022 and May 2023. This program is overseen by a partnership between the Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America (FDRA), the only business and trade association solely dedicated to the footwear industry, and ELEVATE, a global leader in sustainability and supply chain services. The Waste Management Program equips our factories with the tools to recycle and dispose of waste in ways that do not harm the environment. In our first year of the program, our factories’ grades improved from D to B. 78% of all waste produced over the program year was diverted. Our factories were able to improve this rate early in the program, with 90.3% of waste produced in the 2023 calendar year diverted, a rate we intend to continue to improve on. We have successfully diverted 70.26 metric tons of carbon emissions through waste reuse and recycling. We are capturing and recycling over seven types of waste, and our reuse and recycling rates have increased every quarter. In 2025, we proudly rolled out the Waste Management Program across all our tier 1 suppliers, ensuring that every factory we work with is aligned in reducing waste and driving measurable improvements across our entire supply chain.
Our company’s Green Team initiative launched in 2022 and has brought together passionate employees dedicated to sustainability and social causes. Regular meetings are held at the warehouse with remote participation available, to exchange ideas and develop initiatives that promote these important values. Our diverse team, representing a range of departments including planning, product, marketing, stores, and customer service, contributes fresh concepts and supports ongoing company efforts to make a positive impact on society.
The impact of our products and services on the environment is incredibly important to us. That’s where Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) comes in – a scientific approach analysing a product’s entire lifecycle, including energy use, toxins and resources. This method helps us gauge each product’s carbon footprint and make improvements to reduce emissions. Our team have worked with the experts at Clean Agency to generate an LCA tool that allows us to track our carbon footprint to make better design and development decisions. By utilising the LCA tool, we can ensure we’re efficient with our resources and doing our part to take care of the environment. While the art of carbon calculation is not currently 100% exact, we are aiming to improve our understanding of the carbon going into our shoes, and our knowledge of where our components have come from. This tool provides information that is as accurate as possible at this point in time.
Since 2019, you’ve helped us recycle (a whopping!) 31,200 shoes. Each year, millions of shoes end up in Australian landfills. Due to the construction of shoes and the varying materials used, footwear is difficult to dispose of responsibly. It’s important to us that we found an end-of-life option for footwear that would be accessible to customers. That’s why in 2019, we teamed up with John Elliott from Save Our Soles, a Melbourne-based company that turns tyres and shoes into rubber mats. The rubber mats are leased out, and once they’re used, they make their way back to John to be recycled and repurposed again.
At Bared, it is our goal to keep as many shoes out of landfill as possible. Our internal “No Destruction Policy” is a commitment we have made to always seek sustainable solutions for Bared stock in our possession that is unsold, damaged, or unwearable. These shoes will always be repaired, donated, or recycled. While we cannot control what happens to our shoes once they leave the store, we want to make it as easy as possible for our community to participate in our mission by recycling their well-loved footwear. Every Bared store is home to a drop off box, where customers can bring in their shoes to be recycled by one of our recycling partners.
We’re on a mission to remove plastic components from our footwear. As part of that journey, we’re rolling out PLIANTâ„¢ outsoles across our women’s range.You may not realise that 70% of the outsoles marketed as “rubber” are actually synthetic. Even where natural rubber is used in outsoles, it typically must be strengthened with petrochemical based curatives. Developed by fibre innovators Natural Fiber Welding, PLIANTâ„¢ is a completely plastic free, 100% biobased outsole and can safely and naturally return to the earth at end-of-life. PLIANTâ„¢ outsoles truly stand apart. We’re continuing to expand our PLIANTâ„¢ offering in 2024.
We’re taking action internally to reduce our footprint. – Solar Panel: Our Melbourne warehouse has been equipped with solar panels. – Water: We have installed water tanks at our Melbourne warehouse. Additionally, our Melbourne warehouse is fitted with water saving faucets. – Waste: We implemented a policy that Bared would pay for our team members to have a coffee a day if they used a reusable cup. Six years on, we still continue this. – Waste Removal and Recycling: In 2020, we moved our waste removal and recycling to Cleanaway.Cleanaway is an Australian waste management company that adheres to the highest regulatory and environmental standards. Cleanaway offers an unrivalled capacity to collect, process, treat, recycle or safely dispose of any type of waste. They see waste as a resource and are finding better ways to make a sustainable future.
In 2024, we introduced the ‘Bared Preferred Materials Chart’, specifically tailored for the unique needs of footwear. This chart is based on publicly available research from the Global Textile Exchange and adapted by Bared to support the unique needs of the footwear industry. It encompasses all internal and external components, serving as a guide for our design team and suppliers. Our chart prioritises the use of fibres that are innovative (100% biobased or plastic-free), regenerative, recycled, or organic. To ensure the materials are what they claim to be, we require our materials to be certified by third-party, globally recognised programs such as the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) and the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). We give preference to standards that monitor further into the supply chain, covering both environmental and social compliance.
We’re committed to removing harmful chemicals from our products to protect the health of our customers, makers, and the planet. We know that managing chemicals in a complex supply chain can be tricky, but we’re dedicated to the journey towards getting it right. To do this, we’ve created a detailed Restricted Substances List (RSL) as part of our strategy. In 2024, we updated our RSL to meet the highest global standards for environmental impact, health, and safety. All of our suppliers and factories must follow our RSL guidelines, so we can ensure that every step of our production process is responsible, safe, and aligned with our commitment to sustainability.
We’re committed to removing harmful chemicals from our products to protect the health of our customers, makers, and the planet. We know that managing chemicals in a complex supply chain can be tricky, but we’re dedicated to the journey towards getting it right. To do this, we’ve created a detailed Restricted Substances List (RSL) as part of our strategy. In 2024, we updated our RSL to meet the highest global standards for environmental impact, health, and safety. All of our suppliers and factories must follow our RSL guidelines, so we can ensure that every step of our production process is responsible, safe, and aligned with our commitment to sustainability.
In partnership with Melbourne-based company, Save Our Soles, we transform pre-loved shoes into rubber mats for gym and playground flooring. To date, we have recycled 31,200 shoes and counting! Drop off your old shoes (Bared or not!) at any one of our stores and we will recycle them for you – free of charge.
We’re working hard to reduce the emissions we cause in manufacturing and distributing the shoes you love. We have partnered with Greenfleet, committing $215,000 to plant thousands of native species across Australia. We understand that on its own, carbon offsetting doesn’t prevent global warming, but has a large part to play in the overall approach to carbon management.
In January 2019, we partnered with Melbourne-based company, Save Our Soles to recycle pre-loved shoes. Since then, we have recycled 26,960 shoes and transformed them into rubber mats that are used for retail flooring.
In March/April 2019, we improved our packaging by introducing FSC-certified shoe boxes, compostable satchels, hemp bags, eco-tape and Micro-Pak Dri Clay® Kraft Anti-Mould Paks.
In June 2019, we partnered with The Hunger Project, a non-profit organisation committed to ending world hunger. To show our support, we created a range of sneakers where $50 from every sneaker sold is donated directly to the Hunger Project. To date, we have donated $369,000 and counting!
In July 2020, we partnered with Children’s Ground, an organisation dedicated to creating an empowered future for First Nations children. To show our support, we collaborate with local artists to design limited edition sneakers and $50 from every sneaker sold is donated to the non-profit organisation. To date, we have donated $74,604 and counting!
In November 2020, we started transforming our leather offcuts into Dog Collars and Leads. We’re incredibly conscious about the waste we create and make it our mission to be part of the solution. So far, we’ve saved and repurposed 51.81kgs of leather offcuts.
In November 2020, we introduced footbeds made from 60% sugarcane. Sourced from Brazil, this renewable resource grows quickly, relies on rainfall to thrive (not irrigation) and helps remove carbon from the atmosphere in the process.
In December 2020, we partnered with Greenfleet, an Australian not-for-profit organisation that plants biodiverse native forests that are protected for 100 years. We have committed $145,000 to plant thousands of native species and offset over 8,610 tonnes of carbon. We understand that on its own, carbon offsetting doesn’t prevent global warming, but has a large part to play in the overall approach to carbon management.
In December 2021, we became Australia’s first B-Corp-certified footwear label. B Corps are businesses that stand by the highest social and environmental standards for people and the planet.
In July 2021, we started manufacturing in Portugal. With years of experience crafting traditional men’s footwear. Our factory uses premium materials and timeless techniques to create quality footwear that treads lighter on our planet.
In February 2022, we teamed up with Evoco to introduce our B.plantfoamâ„¢ footbed. The same support you know and love but kinder to our planet, B.plantfoamâ„¢ is made from 72%plant-based materials (USDA certified biobased) and reduces CO2 emissions by 70% when compared to traditional petroleum-based footbeds.
In March 2023, we introduced our new range of leather alternative sneakers and heels. Made from natural ingredients including citric acid, cotton, natural rubber and soybean oil, MIRUM® is a plant-based, plastic-free material designed to withstand your every day and then ultimately rejoin the Earth’s nutrient cycle, closing the loop.
We’re on a mission to remove plastic components from our footwear. As part of that journey, we’re rolling out PLIANTâ„¢ outsoles across our women’s range. Despite being labelled as rubber, 70% of what is marketed as rubber today is actually synthetic (or in other words, made from fossil fuels). Developed by fibre innovators Natural Fiber Welding, PLIANTâ„¢ is a completely plastic free, 100% biobased outsole and can safely and naturally return to the earth at end-of-life. PLIANTâ„¢ outsoles truly stand apart. We’re continuing to expand our PLIANTâ„¢ offering in 2024.
We believe every worker has the right to fair compensation and a living wage. Currently, 97% of our Tier 1 factory workers (the actual people who construct our shoes!) are paid a living wage and 100% are paid above the legal minimum wage. By the end of 2024, we aim to have all our Tier 1 workers paid a living wage. As we continue to map our supply chain, we aim to extend our audits to Tier 2 and beyond.
We’re committed to removing harmful chemicals from our products to protect the health of our customers, makers, and the planet. We know that managing chemicals in a complex supply chain can be tricky, but we’re dedicated to the journey towards getting it right.To do this, we’ve created a detailed Restricted Substances List (RSL) as part of our strategy. In 2024, we updated our RSL to meet the highest global standards for environmental impact, health, and safety. All of our suppliers and factories must follow our RSL guidelines, so we can ensure that every step of our production process is responsible, safe, and aligned with our commitment to sustainability.
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Provider/Issuer
Type
Report – Governance
Certificate – Compliance
Report – Carbon
Certificate – Membership
Certificate – Membership
Certificate – Certification
Certificate – Certification
Certificate – Certification
Certificate – Certification
Certificate – Certification
Global Recycled Standard (GRS)
Certificate – Certification
Global Recycled Standard (GRS)
Certificate – Certification
Global Organic Textile Standard
Certificate – Certification
Certificate – Certification
Global Recycled Standard (GRS)
Certificate – Certification
Global Recycled Standard (GRS)
Certificate – Certification