Everlane to launch new eco-friendly sneaker label Tread

By

Robin Driver

Published
Apr 21, 2019

Digital-first apparel retailer Everlane is looking to tap into the popularity of both sneakers and eco-friendly fashion with Tread, a new sustainable footwear brand slated to launch at the end of April.

 
“A new kind of sneaker brand. On the path to zero impact,” promises the brand’s landing page on Everlane’s e-commerce platform. “The mission: Make the world’s lowest-impact sneakers. Make them to last. Make them carbon neutral. And never stop pushing to make them better.”
 
The brand is the San Francisco-based retailer’s first new private label and will launch with the Trainer, a gender-neutral sneaker which channels a minimalistic retro aesthetic and will sell for $98.

The model incorporates a sole containing only 6% virgin plastic and features leather components produced by a tannery that has received gold certification for eco-friendliness from the Leather Working Group.
 
Everlane has previously released women’s shoes but Tread will be the company’s first incursion into footwear for both men and women.
 
“I believe that there's probably a new customer base that hasn't bought into Everlane that's interested in sneakers – and sustainability – that will ultimately come to life,” explained the company’s CEO Michael Preysman to Business Insider. “Especially the male consumer.”
 
It certainly looks like the brand should appeal to a growing market sitting at the intersection of two of the moment’s biggest trends, a market whose potential has already been attested to by the rise of sustainable footwear label Allbirds – valued at $1.4 billion in October of last year, as well as a number of initiatives launched by larger brands.
 
Adidas, for example, recently announced a partnership with Parley for the Oceans to up the use of recycled plastic in its sneakers.
 
The launch of Tread is also part of Everlane’s wider commitment to sustainable fashion, which includes a pledge to eliminate all virgin plastic from its supply chain by 2021.
 
Tread will debut on April 25. Interested customers can already sign up for a wait list via the retailer’s e-commerce platform.