It’s simple to think about but harder to actually put into practice at times. I’m going for it though! I’m searching for new ways to live a Fair Trade lifestyle. It’s not about huge, crazy, radical restructuring of my life. It’s getting to that, but to put in more simpler terms, it’s about choosing differently about how I’m going to spend my money. Today, it’s about Flip Flops.
While searching for Fair Trade Shoes I came across the Autonomie Project, Inc website. They boast Organic, Sweat-shop Free & Vegan fair trade fashion and footwear. They sell 3 types of footwear to be exact: Rain Boots, Flip Flops, and “Converse” style Sneakers in a wide variety of colors. Other items in their shop include jewelry, printed T’s, blank T’s and youth and baby clothing.
“AP’s producer groups are certified by the Fair Trade Labeling Organization (or FLO), which is an international entity based out of Europe. AP pays an extra premium for every pair of shoes we sell that is collected into a worker’s welfare fund. This premium is 20% of our cost (FLO only requires 15%) which is used to improve the socio-economic conditions of our workers, their families and their communities. The fund is administered in a transparent and democratic manner and workers decide jointly with management how to use the funds at the end of every year.”
Love it! It’s super challenging to buy ethically made shoes. Honestly, I’ve gone to wearing my shoes into the ground and then going to thrift stores. When I needed a pair of boots and couldn’t find any used, I finally purchased from Dansko just because they’re a certified bcorp. I’m hoping that in ten years, there will be more options for well-made, ethically manufactured shoes.