For our friends at 5 Gyres, 2015 is a big year. For those who aren’t familiar, 5 Gyres is a nonprofit that works to reduce plastic pollution in our oceans and waterways – places very dear to Indosole’s heart. In January they revamped their mission statement to include more specific goals: To engage people in policy and design solutions to end the global health crisis of plastic pollution. In addition to taking a reactionary standpoint and cleaning the world’s ocean plastic collection sites known as gyres, they have initiated campaigns with proactive solutions. An example of this is the Microbead Campaign known as “Ban the Bead” that focuses on eliminating plastic microbeads from personal care products. “Stiv Wilson introduced legislation to prohibit the sale of plastic microbeads in personal care products in Vermont and Hawaii. An introduction legislation in California will soon follow. This legislation is meant to close a loophole in similar industry sponsored bills passed in Illinois and New Jersey that allow for so called 'biodegradable' plastics such as polylactic acid or PLA. This type of polymer does not biodegrade in the environment. The Ban the Bead petition has collected a total of 7,000 signatures.” ~ 5 Gyres Newsletter 5 Gyres will soon set sail aboard the Spirit of South Carolina for an epic 3-leg expedition. Starting in Palm Beach, Florida the crew of around 30 will be headed to the Bahamas, then to Bermuda, and from Bermuda to Charleston, South Carolina. On the first leg they plan to study the impact of plastic on the ecosystem – both in and surrounding the North Atlantic Gyre – including marine life and the people living in nearby coastal and island nations. Jack Johnson, the musician and ocean advocate, will be joining the team to raise awareness and assist in a conference piloting innovative design solutions such as the Solar Plastic Brick Oven. In the Bahamas, this project will allow islanders to upcycle plastic waste into literal building blocks (pictured below). The 5 Gyres team has a packed schedule before they push off in early June, and there’s plenty of room for public involvement. On February 12th the My Plastic Valentine party took place at Establish store in the Sunset district of San Francisco, directly across the street from the Church of Surf (Indosole’s HQ). More events are on the horizon to make change in local Bay Area waterways as well as raise awareness about plastic pollution worldwide. Opportunities to get involved can be found here: http://5gyres.org/how_to_get_involved/campaigns-microbead/

With a reputation of re-purposing materials, we felt an urge to further explore the space of the local landfill. We pushed ourselves and are now proud to introduce the newest version of our Innertube sandals. The functionality, durability, and comfort of this fan favorite have been elevated, and has become an essential addition to everyone's sandal collection. With soles and straps made from innertubes, they are incredibly lightweight, flexible, and has a textured footbed (with pattern symbolizing tire treads). These slip-on-and-go sandals are perfect for quick trips to the beach, lounging around the house, or a day out with your friends. The footbed is laser cut to follow the shape of the bottom of a foot, so no need for breaking-in. There’s also a laser engraved logo now instead of screen print, for a sleeker overall look. AAAANNND Completely waterproof! - Now, go get wet! All of this awesome for just $30 retail! The Innertubed is available for both men and women.

The inspiration for this year’s collection ‘Pathways’ comes from our belief that life is a journey and there are many paths that we can lead ourselves down. We want you to forge the path to your dreams with this collection on your feet. ‘Pathways’ has taken Indosole’s signature products and made them more comfortable, practical, and fashionable than ever. Additionally, we have given urban dwellers something to rock on the city streets with our NEW RELEASES: The Kota hightop and the JJ lowtop for Men and Women. About the Kota: Kota - meaning city in Indonesian - is designed to be your new go-to hightop when cruising the big city. Aside from our signature tire soles, this shoe is unique in featuring repurposed tire innertube on the toe cap and voxing, making it durable for all your wild adventures - biking, skating or being out and about on the town. About the JJ: Meet the JJ, your new everyday versatile lace-up shoe. “JJ” is short for “jalan-jalan,” Indonesian slang for seeing the sights and tripping around. The JJ shoe’s signature soles are from repurposed waste tires and the durable voxing is from repurposed tire innertube, so get out there and jalan-jalan. New Patterns: This year’s patterns are inspired by the handmade ceramics of Native American tribes, and the spirit of self-expression and creation. Pathways designer and artist Alan Gonzalez explains, “I am inspired by those who are passionate enough to create and strong enough to make their own mark for the world to see.” Our new Indos are perfect for running around the city, whether you’re going from meeting to meeting or out and about with friends. Shop the new styles here!

This month we were featured in the newest issue of Bali & Beyond magazine (April 2015), in a great article titled ‘Cool as Green’ profiling eco-conscious brands such as Utama Spice, Saraswati Papers, Biowear, and the Bali Recycling Company. Author Ariko Ahmad points out, “I personally have never put on any shoes more comfortable than Indosole’s. My favorite is their Prahu “Boat” Shoe that is totally versatile and super chic,” a statement we completely agree with. If you want to experience what Ariko is talking about, go here for Men, or here for women, and get yourself a pair! We are as always extremely grateful for the coverage in Bali & Beyond Magazine, and to be featured alongside some awesome companies that work hard to do good. Read the full article here.  

The Biku sandal in Black Palm print was recently included in Bead & Reel’s ‘Head-To-Toe Ethical Makeover.’ In their words: “This comfortable, handmade sandal combines organic, vegan, and up-cycling all together while remaining stylish. She can wear these all day whether chasing after her toddler or relaxing on the beach and not have to worry about unhappy feet.” We couldn’t agree more. Thanks for including us, Bead & Reel! Read more about the makeover here!

A few months ago we were contacted by Joshua Shuckman, who runs "Social Change Nation" -  a site and podcast dedicated to promoting cause minded organizations and businesses. We finally got Kyle Parsons, Indosole's founder and president, on the phone to do an episode of Social Change Nation and the results were  pretty awesome. So if you want to hear how it all got started, the ups and downs of running a socially conscious business, and everything in between go ahead and listen to part 1 of Kyle's interview here: http://socialchangenation.com/029-part-1-kyle-parsons-of-indosole/ If you need it on the go, Social Change Nation is also available for download on Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/voices-social-change-social/id921408507

A few weeks ago, our friends Heather Kessinger and Good human Jaimal Yogis dropped by the Church of Surf to show us the new trailer to their film “The Most Fearless”. Their documentary takes place in the impoverished country of Bangladesh, and stars 16 year old Nasima who in order to escape a life a poverty, turns to surfing. Her goal is to become the best surfer ever in a conservative country where women don't even swim in public. Nasima, and all the other girls in the film were so inspiring and amazing to watch in these few clips. We appreciated and valued everything Jaimal and Heather were showing us, so they left with a box of multiple pairs of shoes for the girls to wear. Heather then sent us some photos and reported back that the girls were skating and running in our shoes! View the trailer here: The Most Fearless (short trailer) from Heather Kessinger on Vimeo.

Indosole displayed at it’s 3rd Agenda Tradeshow last week – January 5th-6th in Long Beach, CA www.agendashow.com Agenda is an invite-only show which unites retailers and today’s hip urban, fashion, and beach inspired brands from around the world. Agenda Show is always a great time to show off the product we have worked hard to produce while charming a retailer or two. Our booth was buzzing while we poured fresh Sumatran coffee throughout the day. Great Crew - Great time For a sneak peek of our 2015 line entitled “Pathways” go to: www.indosolecatalog.com 2015 product will hit stores in March! PATHWAYS “Choose the path that calls to you; and when you arrive you are exactly where you are meant to be.” --

Indosole will be displaying at it's 3rd Agenda Tradeshow this week - January 5th-6th in Long Beach, CA www.agendashow.com Agenda is an invite-only show which unites retailers and today's hip urban, fashion, and beach inspired brands from around the world. We are honored to be attending and will be posted up at booth #G11 showing our line and serving up fresh brewed Sumatran coffee all day long. For a sneak peek of our 2015 line entitled "Pathways" go to: www.indosolecatalog.com 2015 product will hit stores in March! PATHWAYS "Choose the path that calls to you; and when you arrive you are exactly where you are meant to be."