This Week’s Brand Spotlight: WAO

WAO is an Italian brand of ecological shoes made with natural, innovative, and sustainable materials. This is the eco effect resounding in the cyclic nature of WAO: all the parts of the shoes come from the earth and return to it at the end of their life cycle. They have created seasonless shoes, taking maximum advantage of natural resources. They work together with Italian firms and artisans and donate 4% of the sales to nonprofit organizations which support the environment or animal welfare.

Their vision

We want to promote and spread environmental education in respect of the planet and its resources through sustainable fashion.

Their mission

We try to save the planet through our new creative and productive process.

We want to create a global network of companies and associations sensitive to environmental challenges, from the creation of a new product to its disposal.

We hope to collaborate with as many partners as possible to solve the problem of the disposal of clothes. we hope that many will join this mission with us.

WAO Sneakers

The everyday style, resistant to water and pollution. Made with ECONYL® regenerated nylon, organic cotton, cork and coconut fiber. The sole is in degradable natural rubber, for a significant reduction in the environmental impact.

Ecological, animal free and 97% recyclable

They select all their materials with care and attention, they choose only those that are environmentally sustainable, non-animal origin, and recyclable at the end of their life.

What makes WAO sneakers even more unique is the brand’s commitment to properly dispose of them at the end of their life cycle. They’ll collect your sneakers at no additional cost!

"We believe that the disposal of our sneakers is as important as the use of environmental low-impact materials."

It is really not good for the environment to realize shoes using eco-friendly materials if they are not recycled at the end of their life.

To overcome to disposal problem, and make sure that their sneakers do not end up in waste sorting, they have developed 97% recyclable sneakers, proposing to the customer the free collection of the shoes (when the time comes).

The colors have no chemical origin at all. WAO shoes are dyed only with natural colors. Coloring plants are cultivated, harvested, and dried before the extraction of the pigments.

The leftovers, once neutralized and free from pollutants, are poured into the fields. These colors have zero environmental impact, and they are proud to work with the only company in Italy that works with coloring plants. In the hills of central Italy, there is ColorOff, a sustainable company that works with coloring plants in the utmost respect of the environment and people’s health.

Sneakers disposal at the end of their lifetime

WAO sneakers will accompany you on long walks in the coming years, but once they are worn they can no longer be used, do not throw them in the waste sorting.

Thanks to the use of 97% recyclable materials the brand can donate them a new life, or turn them into organic compost. Just contact WAO with this form, selecting the “Sneakers disposal” option. They will take care of the free collection and recycling of your shoes!

"Disposal is a commitment for our planet, as important as production, for this reason, we have chosen to collaborate with partners able to our used sneakers and give them a new life in other areas."

Short-chain: transparent and made in Italy

The environmental impact of transport is devastating for the planet. Close your eyes and imagine the CO2 emissions of a supply chain made up of over a thousand companies located on different continents.

Done? It’s not a nightmare: this is what happens every day in fast fashion. That’s why WAO sneakers are produced in Italy and all their suppliers are Italian: this makes their production chain short and responsible.

They support 5 wonderful non-profit associations

For every purchase made on their website, they donate 4% to one of WAO’s five partner associations, all committed to protecting our planet.

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This Week’s Brand Spotlight: WAO