Robeez is a company that literally revolutionized the way baby shoes were made. It was started by a Canadian mom who wanted shoes that would actually stay on her baby Robert. These shoes took off in a huge way with nearly every mom out there buying a pair (or six) for her kids. They stay on, are really comfy and adorable in a huge range of designs. As happens with many successful small businesses, it was bought out by another company. It’s now run out of the States and they’re adding even more designs and philosophies to the world of kids shoes.
I got an email from them yesterday announcing their eco-friendly line. I wasn’t overly optimistic that these would be anything more than another attempt at luring in environmentally conscious parents at spending their money on a green washed product. I was very pleasantly surprised however when I started to check it out.
They have a number of designs of shoes and slippers although these are the design that really started off the Robeez company. Soft soles, elasticized ankle and suede bottoms is the classic Robeez design. These shoes definitely make the slipper greener by being made of organic canvas across the foot instead of the traditional all leather design. The inks that are used in the shoe are all water soluble and the leather upper is actually recycled!! The remainder of the leather and the suede bottom are naturally tanned to reduce the impact on the earth and to allow for greater breathability for sweaty little toes.
Yes, these shoes could be more eco-friendly but the fact is that they are definitely taking steps in the right direction. I love these so much that I know I’d buy them for my daughter if they came in her size. Unfortunately, they’re only making these in the 0-24 month size range right now. They do have another line of eco-friendly sneakers that I’ll feature in another post. My hats off to Robeez for jumping into the green product revolution with two feet instead of trying to rip parents off like many other companies!!
