Partnering with B.C.-based Marathon Surfaces, Native Shoes has recycled some 40,000 pairs of shoes into flooring for five playgrounds across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland since 2018, and are currently working toward a sixth. Housman says currently only a small proportion of Native’s shoes are returned for recycling — mostly via the brand’s two stores in Vancouver and Nantucket, Mass. — but the company is working with Canada Post and U.S.-based online shoe retailer Zappos.com to make it easier for customers outside those areas to remix their worn-out shoes.

“Remix is our way of demonstrating that there’s a solution to [clothing waste],” says Housman. “When our kids haven’t dragged their toes every single time they ride a bike, the shoes are cleanable and can be passed on to another child, and we really encourage people to pay it forward. But in the case where they are not re-giftable, then Remix comes in. Our shoes don’t have to end up in the landfill.”

Inspired by what it calls “Generation Do” — the current generation of kids who are growing up with an awareness of social and environmental issues and a desire to make a positive impact in the world — Native Shoes is also experimenting with ways to reduce the carbon footprint of its shoes on the production side. The Jefferson Bloom is a more sustainable model of the brand’s tried-and-true bestseller, made with an algae-blended resin, while the Robbie is made with Sugarlite, a sugarcane-based compound that generates about 22 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than traditional EVA. (The Jefferson is also available in Sugarlite for those who like the vintage sneaker-inspired look.)

“We talk about practicing tiny activism – recognizing that all of the decisions we make, no matter how small, add up,” says Housman. “Generation Do is about celebrating our kids who are already making those decisions.”

The Robbie Sugarlite retails for CAD$52-58 and is available in children’s and youth sizes. The Jefferson Bloom retails for CAD$70 (adult sizes) or CAD$55-60 (children’s and youth sizes).