If you’re anything like me, you only end up wearing half the shoes you buy. You finally get your hands on a pair you’ve been eyeing and then when you finally wear them, you find out they shred your feet. I’ve often ended up bleeding or blisters the size of a dollar coin. When I finally find a pair of shoes that are comfy and don’t beat up my feet, I wear them to death.
That was the case with a recent pair from Bared Footwear. Called the Sanderlings, they’re buckle sandals that are formal enough to wear to the office, but also casual enough to wear to the beach — and, more importantly, even after hours upon hours of wear, they’ve yet to scrape up my feet.
It makes sense given the found of Bared, Anna Baird, is actually a former podiatrist. Baird found a gap in the market for well-designed, fashion-fashion footwear that’s actually comfy for you and, in 2008, launched Bared. Since then, the brand has expanded to sell its womens and mens shoes at three dedicated Melbourne boutiques, a Sydney CBD flagship store and, of course, its online store.
It’s also become Australia’s first B Corp certified footwear label, standing by the highest social and environmental standards for people and the planet. Bared is dedicated to sourcing sustainable materials, giving back to the community and minimising waste.
Working with not-for-profit Greenfleet, it’s committed $50,000 to planting thousands of native species across Australia to offset 3,300 tonnes of carbon, thereby becoming carbon neutral. To minimise waste, it transforms leather offcuts into dog collars and leads and recycles pre-loved shoes to prevent them from hitting landfill.
Good on your feet and good (or, at least, better) for the environment? Sounds like a win-win to us. And now you can (potentially) add another win to that list with Bared Footwear giving away $1k’s worth of its shoes to one lucky recipient. To enter to win, simply tell us in 25 words or less: What important or everyday event are you most excited to wear Bared shoes to?
This competition has now closed. Good luck!
Head here for full competition terms and conditions.
