What Material Are TOMS Shoes Made Of?
In this guide, we will examine Tom’s shoes and discover the different materials used to make them and then itemize and discuss each one of them in more detail…. Here is a quick list of the type of materials used in Tom’s Shoes…
Toms shoes are made of the following materials: Organic Cotton, Repreve Recycled Polyester, Plant Dye, Tencel Lyocell, Green EVA Outsole, Eco Fibers, Ortholite Insoles, and Recycled Strobel Board.
Below I have itemized each of the materials and go into more detail about each one…
What Is Organic Cotton?
TOMS is a well-known shoe brand that uses a variety of materials…. TOMS shoes are made from canvas…. Canvas is a durable, all-natural material that also happens to be incredibly soft…. It’s made from organic cotton, which makes it one of the most eco-friendly choices for footwear there is.
Organic cotton is grown without harmful chemicals or genetically modified organisms (GMO) , which helps eliminate the use of herbicides and pesticides…. Organic cotton is more naturally soft than conventional cotton, which makes it ideal for the comfortable suede upper of our classic style.
Organic cotton is a type of cotton grown using only natural fertilizers and pesticides, rather than synthetic ones…. It is produced by farmers who follow certain conservation practices, such as crop rotation and the use of permanent soil cover…. In the U.S., organic cotton must be grown without genetically modified organisms as well as meet other requirements to be certified as organic by a USDA accredited certifier.
Not only is organic cotton naturally grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides, or other chemicals…. It also requires less chemical processing when it comes to dye.
What Is Repreve Recycled Polyester?
TOMS shoes are made from a variety of materials, most of which are found in other TOMS products…. The most important material in TOM’s shoes is the Repreve Recycled Polyester…. Repreve is made from recycled plastic water bottles, which are collected through an extensive partnership with the non-profit organization Terracycle.
Repreve has many benefits over traditional petroleum-based plastics, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, increased tensile strength and durability, and an extended product life cycle.
Recycled polyester is a fabric made from recycled plastic bottles…. Recycled polyester doesn’t contain any virgin plastic; it’s all recycled plastic that’s been washed and processed into a thread…. That means it’s 100% recyclable and 100% sustainable.
Recycled polyester is stronger than traditional polyester, which makes it great for outdoor gear like tents and backpacks, and also great for heavy-use items like clothing…. It’s also great for people who want to make a difference with their purchase: you can feel good about the fact your TOMS are made with recycled materials in fair conditions.
Recycled polyester is different in some ways from regular polyester…. When traditional polyester is recycled, the recycling process is similar to making virgin plastic, so it gets mixed up with all the other types of plastics when you recycle it…. Since it comes from just one source, however, recycled polyester can be recycled again and again without losing quality or purity.
What Is Plant Dye?
Colorful plant dyes have been used for thousands of years to dye fabric, but the discovery of synthetic dyes in the late 19th century led to a decline in their use…. The renewed interest in natural dyes that started in the 1970s has brought many new plant products to the marketplace…. Many are expensive products imported from other countries, but some can be grown by farmers right here in North America.
TOMS Shoes are made of canvas, which is made from cotton…. The dye that is used in the shoes is made from natural materials…. The dye is plant-based, made up of castor oil, indigo, and tannin…. The castor oil is used to make the dye stick to the canvas…. Indigo comes from plants and tannin comes from trees.
The dye for the shoes is made from plants…. For example, the dye used to make black pairs comes from the leaves of the black onion plant, which grows in Peru…. The dye used to make brown pairs comes from the cuttlefish bone plant, which grows in South America’s the Atacama Desert.
The dye used to make white pairs comes from an alder tree, which grows in Russia…. TOMS sources the materials it uses in ways that respect local needs and customs to create long-term partnerships with people around the world.
The uppers of TOMS shoes are made from cotton, which may be dyed with synthetic plant dyes…. These dyes are used to color cotton yarn before it is woven into cloth for making the shoe upper.
The dye that is used for our canvas is colorfast and it meets the highest environmental standards set by the Oeko-Tex Association…. This means that it is free of harmful chemicals and heavy metals like nickel, chromium VI, lead, or cadmium.
What Is Tencel Lyocell?
You may have heard of Tencel…. It’s a new fabric that’s getting a lot of attention in the fashion world…. But what is it? How do you make it? The name “Tencel” is actually an acronym for “tensile strength, Elastane…. Lyocell.” The material was developed when the inventors originally wanted to create a fiber that would be stronger than cotton but less abrasive than rayon or polyester…. They found that by using the wood pulp in their process they could create the new fiber they were looking for, and so Tencel was born!
Tencel Lyocell is made from cellulose fiber taken from the pulp of the eucalyptus tree…. While Tencel appeals to consumers because it is incredibly soft, comfortable, and breathable, it’s also environmentally friendly.
Tencel fibers are highly absorbent and breathable and help to wick perspiration away from your feet…. This means that your shoes will dry faster and smell fresher after being worn in rainy weather or in warm/humid conditions.
Tencel lyocell is a regenerated cellulose fiber made from wood pulp…. Tencel is a brand name for fiber…. The manufacturing process uses no dyes, so the fabric retains its natural characteristics and color, and it is naturally resistant to stains and fading.
In addition to being biodegradable, lyocell fibers are manufactured in a way that minimizes their impact on the environment during the manufacturing process…. Tencel meets the European standards for both environmental protection and occupational safety.
What Is Green EVA Outsole?
Toms shoes are made out of high-quality, flexible, eco-friendly materials…. The EVA sole is made with no PVCs, phthalates, or additives…. This ensures that it’s free from substances that are toxic to humans and the environment…. It also means the outsoles are more lightweight, water-resistant, and slip-resistant.
EVA is a terrific tri-polymer blend designed to be durable yet weigh much less than other synthetic rubbers…. EVA provides excellent shock absorption and high abrasion resistance…. It is an excellent choice for high profile athletic shoes where comfort and performance are key features.
EVA is a patented material that stands for Ethylene Vinyl Acetate…. It’s a synthetic material based on vinyl with a 50% cotton content that makes it biodegradable and compostable…. It’s also lightweight, flexible, and shock absorbent…. It’s great for the environment and perfect for your feet!
What is EVA used for? EVA is an incredibly versatile material–it can be used as an alternative to foam rubber or plastic in all kinds of consumer products…. Today, it’s used in the soles of high-performance athletic shoes, flip flops, slippers, backpacks, and more…. But TOMS uses this innovative material in their classic canvas slip-on style as well as their new vegan line!
What Are Eco Fibers?
Eco fibers are plant-based materials that are made into clothing, shoes, bags, and other accessories…. These materials are attractive because they are renewable, sustainable, and biodegradable…. They also have the benefit of being non-toxic to humans while being strong and durable.
TOMS uses eco-friendly materials in all of their line of shoes…. Their shoes are made from eco fibers such as linen, hemp, and jute.
Hemp is a natural fiber that helps keep your feet cool in the summer and warm in the winter…. It is durable and easy to clean…. Hemp absorbs four times its weight in moisture and dries quickly.
Jute is a long, durable fiber that is spun into a string and woven into the fabric for making ropes and bags…. It is produced primarily in India and Bangladesh…. Jute is resistant to bacteria and insects; it can be washed with hot water and detergent without losing its color or softness.
Linen is a plant fiber that comes from the flax plant…. It has been used for over 4,000 years because it is easy to grow, easily spun into thread, strong, absorbs moisture well, comfortable to wear, breathable, resistant to mold, rot, mildew, insects, heat, sunlight, UV light, chlorine bleach, abrasion-resistant, wrinkle-resistant, fire retardant, flexible, insulating, good electrical insulation, good acoustical insulation, the non-conductive, biodegradable, recyclable, low energy cost of production.
What Are Ortholite Insoles?
Ortholite insoles are made of an open-cell polyurethane foam that is flexible but also capable of absorbing impact…. The foam comes in two versions, EVA and HPPE, which have slightly different properties…. EVA is more lightweight…. HPPE is more resilient, so it bounces back after stretching better…. Ortholite insoles are designed to be used with shoes that have removable or replaceable insoles, so you can swap the original insole for the Ortholite one.
Ortholite insoles are made of a lightweight, breathable foam material that is an excellent shock absorber…. Ortholite insoles are also antimicrobial, which means they prevent the growth of mold, mildew and fungus…. The material is also hydrophobic, meaning it does not absorb water.
Ortholite insoles are usually found in athletic shoes designed for running, basketball, tennis or other sports that require a lot of movement.
Ortholite is the material used in TOM’s shoes, including the popular Classic Collection…. Ortholite is a non-toxic, odorless foam that makes the insoles of TOMS shoes comfortable and absorbs moisture.
Ortholite is an extremely light foam that can be used to replace conventional shoe inserts…. It provides superior cushioning while remaining very thin, so it does not add much extra weight to a shoe…. In addition, Ortholite has a natural antimicrobial agent built-in so it resists the growth of bacteria and odor for longer periods of time than other materials do.
What Is Recycled Strobel Board?
The material used for the Strobel board of TOMS Shoes is recycled polyester…. The recycled polyester that is used in TOM’s shoes comes from plastic bottles that are made into polyester fiber…. Since its inception, this material has been used to make all TOMS Shoes.
TOMS shoes come with in-soles known for their comfort and unique cushioning…. They’re made with unique StrobelTM board, which is created from recycled polyester…. It provides the perfect amount of flexibility and stability, making it an ideal material for us to use in our shoes.
Now that’s sustainable comfort! It’s also super lightweight! The result is a shoe with great cushioning, great durability, and great eco-credentials.
In summary, these days, many companies are making efforts to minimize the harm they do to the environment…. Many of these companies are also trying to get people to buy their products by promising that they are environmentally friendly…. They want you to think that buying their environmentally friendly product is a good way for you to help the environment.
Toms isn’t completely there yet but have made huge strides and have even been given a compassionate business award from PETA for their efforts in creating a vegan line of shoes…. The company has introduced a plan to move to 100% sustainable cotton by 2025 and has open and transparent reports detailing its progress.
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