new shoes

Veja

Le projet Veja repose sur trois principes forts :1. Privilégier les matériaux écologiques 2. Utiliser du coton et du caoutchouc issus du commerce équitable3. Fabriquer les produits dans la dignité

That sums up the project, but what really struck me - as yet another turn in the thick plot of "conscious consumerism" (listen to Zizek, for example) - is the admission of the project's limits:

Far from perfect Veja is not a perfect project. It is open to criticism on many points. It has many limitations. Fair trade is not perfect, and so is not ecological will. There are dead ends, contradictions and changes to undergo. Veja is a test, a work in progress. A project that is constantly trying to push its own contradictions. So here are the limits.The laces are not organic cotton, for lack of volume. Veja only makes a small amount of sneakers, and therefore does not "enough" of laces.
The foam to keep the ankle is a petrol based synthetic product.
Veja sneakers contain between 30 and 40% of wild rubber. The insole contains 5%. To contain all of the technical properties in a sole (flexibility, strength, comfort), we must also use other components like synthetic rubber.
The grommets do not contain nickel, but are made of metal, whose origin is not controlled.
The recycling of sneakers is not established.
Transport to deliver to Asian and American customers is done by plane.
Veja has its sneakers and accessories made in Brazil, where the cotton and rubber is grown, more than 8000 km away from its customers.
The sneakers are a matter of over-consumption. Veja continues to improve the quality of its products and increase their lifespan.

And there is more (see limitation about cotton and tinting). It seems that we are so used to getting conned (we take for granted that any advertising can't and will not, at the end, be completely honest. And so, honesty becomes the ultimate promotion weapon.

Anyway... I just wanted to show off my new shoes!