Tough, light and water-resistant footwear with a firm focus on the environment
Vans has partnered with cold water surf brand Finisterre for a second time to launch its most sustainable range of shoes ever.
Following on from the success of their first collaboration in 2017, the new range brings together Vans’ tried and tested knowledge of footwear with Finisterre’s long-standing eco credentials and commitment to protecting the sea.
With a focus on creating footwear designed to deal with those people walking across coastal landscapes, the new launch features three products originating from the popular Vans silhouettes.
- Essential reading: The best hiking boots for men | The best hiking boots for women
The partnership sticks firmly to Finisterre‘s B Corp certification status – an initiative that tasks businesses with balancing profit and purpose to meet high standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability.
With sustainability at the core of the design process, Finisterre and Vans sourced and delivered new materials for the range.
Eco components including organic cotton, fully recycled backings and PU coated vegan leathers can be found across each of the three styles. With, where possible, details such as the laces, webbing and signature tabs being updated with materials from recycled plastic bottles.
Those three products are:
The UltraRange Hi DL
Buy now: Finisterre | £110
Based on an original hiking boot but with a few modern developments, the UltraRange Hi DL is light, tough, water-resistant and is made from an eco synthetic leather, with recycled polyester ripstop and laces.
The Destruct
Buy now: Finisterre | £85
A hardy shoe made with sustainable materials. Designed for the weather and with innovative features like an inverted waffle grip for slippery coastal paths.
The Slip-er
Buy now: Finisterre | £60
A pre and post-surf shoe with a handy fold-down back making it easy to slip on with damp feet – but with a sturdy enough sole to wear outside the home. Made out of organic cotton with an eco-wax coating.
Where did the idea come from?
Finisterre Founder Tom Kay said, “I founded Finisterre on innovation, sustainability and a need for better product back in 2003. Sixteen years later, it’s great to be working with such an iconic brand as Vans and pushing this agenda to produce a limited range of rugged footwear – their most sustainable to date.”
Commenting on the collaboration, Finisterre’s lead menswear designer Todd said: “Our second collaboration with Vans was the ultimate meeting of minds with their amazing footwear know-how and history coming face-to-face with Finisterre’s desire to create change with minimal environmental impact – this collection is built for adventure whilst reducing waste and causing no harm to animals.”
The full range is now available in unisex sizing (UK 3-12). For more information click here.
