Naturalpath

Going “green” is S.O.P. (standard operating procedure) in these here parts Spend any amount of time on the ‘Net and you’ll find tons of info on the “top 10 ways to green your house” or “how to open an eco-friendly business”. But what if you are environmently concerned and are a runner? Is there anything you can do to help ease the burden we place on the environment?

1. Shoes: Most shoes todays are made without the use of PVC (which release toxic chemicals, produces a lot of waste, etc), and most shoes are also made with synthetic leather as opposed to genuine (cow-hide) leather. Companies such as Nike, Brooks, New Balance, Montrail, Asics and many more are now manufacturing their shoes without the use of PVC and many are even releasing “vegan-friendly” shoes which have absolutely zero animal components. Many of these same companies are also creating shoes with “Green” (recycled) rubber outsoles.

Montrail goes a step further when it comes to the packaging of their shoes. Not only do they send them in recycled cardboard boxes - but inside you will find no extra fluff. No paper packing in the box. No paper inserts in the shoes. No catalogs or “instruction” manuals. So far, this is the only company I have seen that takes this extra step and keeps it simple (pun intended) . Just the shoes!

2. Socks: There is a sock company called “Teko that I recently discovered. They make moisture wicking socks (even wool ones) and claim to have the “best socks on the planet and the best socks for the planet”.

3 Water Bottles: Water bottles are generally made of plastic. While plastic is one of the great modern inventions, it is not very environmentally friendly and not always safe to drink from plastic water bottles. A company called Klean Kanteen has come out with a new bottle that even has a sport top. I have not yet tried them and I’m not sure how well they will catch on - but I do plan on giving them a try myself.

4. Finally, there was a Running Times article back in 2005 that listed 4 environmentally friendly companies: Teko, Patagonia, Timberland & Nike. . Maybe all shoe & clothing companies will take a page from Montrail and begin selling their shoes with “no fluff”. After all - we only need the shoes and the box (maybe not even that). Do they think  we’ll miss  all that extra stuff?  Proving yet again… less is more.