“At UGG, we are committed to doing our part to combat climate change”

Called the Plant Power collection, the new line builds on the brand’s sustainability platform- FEEL GOOD- launched in 2020 ‘to articulate its long-term goals and commitment to people and the planet’.

This week, Southern California-based popular shoe brand UGG® launched vegan shoes made from carbon-neutral plant-based materials.

Eco-friendly designs

The collection features three footwear styles thoughtfully designed keeping the brand’s environmental footprint in mind.

The Fluff Sugar Platform and Fluff Sugar Sandal, which feature eye-catching design elements, platform outsoles, and responsibly sourced materials are vegan versions of UGG’s wildly popular fluff franchise.

The SugarSole foam outsole is made with renewable sugarcane – a swift-growing, rainwater-dependent resource that removes CO2 from the atmosphere and does not require irrigation.  Sugarcane also allows for reduced dependency on fossil fuels by replacing petroleum-based materials.

The fluff on the designs is made with plant-based TENCEL branded lyocell fibres that come from responsibly harvested trees. 

While Fluff Sugar Platform is available in three colors: pink, white, and yellow, the Fluff Sugar Sandal comes in pink, white, yellow, and blue.

The third style called The Neumel Natural is a veganised version of the brand’s best-selling Neumel chukka boot.

The iconic look and feel of the original is adapted using plant-based materials such as TENCEL Lyocell.

The dual-gender shoe’s handcrafted, small-batch soles are made of LACTAE HEVEA latex harvested from the Hevea rubber tree while the upper portion is woven from a blend of 55 % cotton and 45 % hemp.

This shoe is available in eight colours including indigo, pink, and grey.

‘Doing our part to combat climate change’

“At UGG, we are committed to doing our part to combat climate change,” UGG President Andrea O’Donnell said in a press release.

“Our design team took inspiration from our iconic styles and created new silhouettes made from carbon-neutral, plant-based materials.” 

UGG will ship styles from the Plant Power Collection in their own containers, in a bid to eliminate further layers of postal packaging.

Additionally, material information will be printed directly onto the FSC-certified tissue paper rather than an insert card, decreasing the total amount of paper used.

According to UGG, the Plant Power Collection “is just the beginning” of a renewed effort to create footwear ‘better for both consumers and the planet’.

The company added that it aims to increase the use of  “recycled, repurposed, regenerated (plant-based), renewable (bio-based), and certified fibers by 35% by 2027” in its future designs.

‘Sustainable and resilient’ future

“These are critical times when we must all play our part in delivering upon the United Nations Global Compact Sustainable Development Goals and the vision outlined in Paris Agreement to create a future that is sustainable and resilient,” Deckers President and CEO Dave Powers said in the company’s sustainability Report.

“We believe in transformative change — change that is only possible with a focused and transparent approach,” he added.

“We recognize that sustainability is a journey and we are committed to doing our part to create change for our employees, our communities, and our planet.”

• Read: Garnier is now officially ‘cruelty-free’ certified

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Mohsina Dodhiya

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