Indosole Blog & News

On January 01, 2017 we awoke with a realization that Indosole needed a face lift, a brand elevation, a breath of fresh air if you will. So, we decided to slow down and take a look around by analyzing the market and what the average consumer actually wants in year 2017. What we found was that sustainable fashion and vegan goods are getting popular, very popular. But we also found that people do not necessarily want to step outside their comfort zone unless they can perceive a real value and style upgrade along the way to justify spending hard earned money. Well, truthfully we have observed this dilemma for years. So, we decided we needed to shock the system, dig deep, and conceptualize a new product that would have us continue to raise the bar in our market while offering our customer a comfortable, affordable, and easy product they can relate to in their everyday lives. We wanted to create a legacy product for our brand and also for the future of the conscious footwear market. The idea for “The most ECOnomical Flip Flop in the world” shone through when we decided on our new product, The ESSNTLS. However daunting, we looked down the barrel of 8 months of hard work to get this product to market, but knew that it would be well worth it if we could check all the boxes and follow our brand ethos of responsible sourcing and manufacturing along the way. Holding this commitment kept us faithful through the slogging months and had us believe that the ESSNTLS will be special and will positively influence our industry and world.  We followed a 3 phase process to take: Concept - To Action - To Your Feet: Here we are at the end of 2017 having worked nearly a FULL year on this product. ESSNTLS have been on the market for 3 full months and the response has been phenomenal as we begin the next phase. We have some exciting announcements coming soon! What is the next phase you may ask??! EXECUTION in 2018 is our answer. For us, you, Indonesia, and the rest of the world. Thanks for your support in 2017 and enjoy our highlight photos from this past year: Love, The Indosole Crew

Meet your new favorite slip-on Travel Shoe, The Pantai. We are proud to introduce this shoe to you and we have a good feeling that you are going to like it….a lot. A year ago, we had a vision for Indosole’s version of the classic Espadrille. Market research lead us to believe that most of the Espadrille’s on the current market were lacking some key elements: Comfort, Arch Support, and Machine Washability. We wanted to offer a solution, we wanted to make a better shoe and do it while following the brand ethos that Indosole is known for: Responsible processes and materials, style, and function. Now, after months of focused design and development we are happy to unveil our latest creation: The Pantai Travel Shoe. The Pantai is 100% vegan and made with organic canvas that is sourced locally and then custom dyed using natural processes. It is then finished with Indosole’s signature upcycled tire soles and ready for all your wild adventures.  LEARN MORE AND BUY NOW

As Americans generate 230 million tons of trash per year, as 8 million tons of plastic winds up in the ocean every year, and as 600,000 tons of pesticides get used every year in the US to saturate cotton crops, one thing is clear — what we buy as consumers is having a direct impact on our planet. It’s a reality that makes us all look at our feet in shame, want to shake our fists at the atrocities committed by businesses behind closed doors, and just want to do something about it all. But it’s maddening, because all too often, the eco-friendly options on the market are just too freaking expensive for the average person to go out and buy. Unless you’re set with a swanky salary and stock options, organic underwear and fair-trade coffee just isn’t in the cards. We want to make a difference, we want to empower ourselves with better purchases that are kinder to the planet and support businesses that are putting planet above profits, but how do we do it if we can’t afford what they’re selling? Finally, the market is actually listening. Affordable eco-friendly fair-trade is bursting onto the scene like never before, and the prices are coming down. It’s not everything, and it’s not everywhere, but these businesses have seen the writing on the wall and are offering products that we can all actually afford. Why Eco-Friendly Costs More Even more frustrating than knowing the impacts of conventional manufacturing is not being able to choose otherwise because you just can’t afford to. The bottom line is, eco-friendly products cost more because often they just take more time and labor to produce. You’re not creating a fiber out of petroleum stew, you’re growing it in a field, and you’re not sucking the local aquifers down with crummy farming practices to make them grow faster. Organic, free-range, sustainable, free-trade — all of these things reflect the real cost of a product: • What it takes to pay the people who make these things fair wages. • What it takes to grow things slower, the way nature intended. • What it takes to use wholesome ingredients, instead of synthetic junk. These companies put so much more on the line financially than just what goes into their products too, putting money into getting the certifications that prove to their customers that they’re putting people and planet above profits. B-corp and fair-trade? It all costs money to get those certifications, but these companies go for it anyway. I know it’s frustrating, I know you just want some organic sheets AND to pay your rent on time, but trust me, there are some really great reasons you’re paying more for eco-friendly, and some really sad reasons you’re paying less for the conventional stuff. Businesses That Are Changing the Game Okay, all of that doom and gloom aside, there are businesses that see this problem, and despite all of the things that make it so challenging to compete with cheap, inferior products, they’re working their tails off to make it so we can actually buy from them. These businesses have prices that are surprisingly lower than what you’re used to seeing from eco-friendly retailers, so pace yourself — it’s only affordable if you don’t go on a shopping spree. Mattresses Avocado Green Mattress I’m having a personal love affair with this mattress company. Their mattresses are INCREDIBLE, made from organic cotton, wool, and even recycled steel springs, and they’re 100% polyurethane-free (which is like, insanely unheard of). >The crazy part? A queen-sized mattress from Avocado is just $1,399, about the same as something you’d get from Serta. Shoes Indosole This shoe company has decided to make use of tire waste in one of the coolest ways possible — by turning it into eco-friendly shoes that rock and roll. Indosole carries sandals, flats, urban walking shoes, and flip flops, all made with upcycled tires by people paid a living wage in safe facilities. Their latest release, the ESSNTLS, are their most affordable yet, at just $35 a pair with free shipping within the US. Clothes PACT Apparel PACT has taken the internet by storm with their comfortable collection of organic cotton basics that are as versatile as they are comfortable. With everything from underwear to kids’ clothing, this company offers a solution to the environmental catastrophe that is conventional cotton, at prices accessible to the rest of us. Get it all here — a long sleeve women’s tee from PACT is only $16.99. Home Goods Lehman’s I’ve raved about this store before, and I’m shamelessly at it again. For those of you living a rugged life (or maybe just wanting to try your hand at home fermentation), this store has it ALL, and so many of their products are made with materials like wood and metal, right here in the US. Built to last is built for the planet, and Lehman’s has it all. Get their lamb’s wool dust mop for just $24.99! Clothes H&M I know, you’d never expect to see this fashion giant on a list of green brands, but believe it or not, H&M is the world’s largest buyer of organic cotton! From maternity clothes to menswear, H&M carries an impressively large line of fashion-forward organic and consciously produced products. Me? I’ve got my eye on these sweet organic cotton maternity leggings — just $12.99 a pair! Clothes, Home, Electronics, Pets, and Jewelry Overstock When you’re on a budget, sometimes these big box stores are your friend, and you can feel good about it because SO many of them are carrying eco-friendly options these days. Overstock carries a huge range of products, but they have a particularly nice selection of organic bedding at some great prices. Check it out — these organic cotton sheet sets are priced at under $85 for a queen-sized set! Bed, Bath, and Home Under the Canopy When it comes to sheets, linens, and rugs, Under the Canopy is another great one to shop around on. Their mantra is ‘Beautiful. Sustainable. Affordable.’, and they live up to it well. With six kinds of certifications that showcase this company’s commitment to planet over profits, Under the Canopy just raised the bar a little higher for everyone. You can get an organic cotton towel set from these guys for $64.99! Kids’ Dishes Re-Play One of my favorite companies, this business makes use of plastic milk jugs by turning them into durable dishes for kids. Re-Play’s dishes tough and built to last, but also free of BPA, PVC, and phthalates, and shipped with minimal packaging. They’re even made in the USA! At just $18 for a six pack of their plates too, these dishes are crazy affordable! Toys Green Toys  Another company recycling plastic waste in the US, Green Toys makes a wide variety of tough toys that are 100% safe and non-toxic, and even packaged in biodegradable boxes printed with soy ink!   Ready to try one? These toys last forever, and you can nab a whole recycling truckfor under $30!  Epic and Eco-Friendly It’s challenging being a conscious consumer on a budget, no doubt. But the tides are turning, and the world is wising up to the idea that to make eco-friendly options truly sustainable, they’ve gotta be affordable.  Don’t despair, and you sure as hell better not give up, because left and right, businesses are finding ways to compete with lower prices without compromising their values.   As a culture, we can all turn our consumer habits down a notch, but as an economy, we can move forward in a sustainable way to support businesses that are meeting us in the middle, and not compromising the health of our home sweet home to do it. Guest Environmental Writer: Destiny Hagest

The Kota high top is modern tire sole footwear at it's finest! The ladies love it for its versatility, and we often see them styled to toughen up an otherwise "girly" outfit. Guys love the Kota because of how easy it is to throw them on without having to think twice about it. Not to mention, the handy zipper makes the Kota easy to slip on and off, which everyone can appreciate. From cycling to skateboarding to park strolling, this shoe is perfect for life in the city. Learn more about this shoe's unique materials and features below. Don't forget to search the hashtag #KotaHightop on Instagram to see how people are styling their Kotas!  

We are hitting the road... and the next stop is Facebook HQ in Menlo Park! Our pop-up shop will be open to Facebook employees this Tuesday, January 19, 2016. We are really looking forward to bringing our #SolesWithSoul and introducing them to the FB community. Do you friends who are working at 1 Hacker Way? Let them know we'll be headed there soon with lots of product to choose from!

What a great year 2015 was. The nice thing about Instagram is the fact that you can easily scroll through to look back on the year, and we loved going through all the fan photos from 2015. It warms our hearts to know that you are taking your Indos on lots of adventures, from lakes to camp sites to beaches to the city pavement. We look forward to seeing your tags this year! Look us up @indosole & don't forget to use our hashtags #TiresToSoles and #SolesWithSoul.  Click here to see the full feed.  

On November 14, 2015 we partnered with the non-profit charity Yayasan Solemen Indonesia to bring much-needed goods to a small community of scavengers living in Waringan (Sanur), Bali. Indosole distributed rice and 50 pairs of footwear to the community, while Solemen distributed 111 towels and 50 bed sheets donated by the Bali Dynasty Resort. The scavengers and trash pickers (known as pemulung in Indonesian) make a living by collecting plastic bottles to trade in for cash. According to the Waringan residents, 1 kg of plastic yields Rp. 3,000 (approximately $ 0.21). We were moved by the their resilience and sense of community – they get by on very little but their lives are not bleak. There was laughter, and smiles were in abundance. It goes to show that you don't need a lot of physical "things" to be content with life.              There are many communities in Bali that are in need of assistance and donations. To find out how you can help visit the website of Yayasan Solemen Indonesia. To learn more about how Indosole reduces strain on the environment by repurposing tires into the soles of footwear visit Our Story page.

We’ve handpicked some of our favorite Indosole products to suit an array of lifestyles! 1. For the Backpacker: Innertubed sandal This sandal is perfect for that friend or family member who heads out of town and into nature at any opportunity. They practically live in hiking boots, but post-hike they need something to wear while hanging around the campsite or exploring near a lake. 2. For the Urban Dweller: Kota hightop 3. For the Market Lover: Indo canvas bag This is the friend who is constantly dragging you to farmers markets, vintage stores, and antiques fairs. This roomy bag with repurposed rice sack lining can be easily wiped down after carrying leaky jars of jam or dusty antique bowls. 4. For the Busy Parent: Kelapa shoe This is the friend or family member who is going from work to a PTA meeting to a basketball game to the grocery store and back again. They would really appreciate something cute and comfy to get from one place to the next. 5. For the Indo Enthusiast: Indo trucker hat  

Indosole was recently included in an article published by CNN about "artists and brands around the world who are finding thrilling ways to take old tires and repurpose them into stunning and stylish new artworks and products." Aside from Indosole, the article features a jewelry designer, a sculptor, and an Australian homeware manufacturer. Click here to read the full article. For more of Indosole in the news, explore our media gallery here.