Here’s their story:

Charmoné: Charming shoes, in harmony with the earth.
Our mission is to create beautiful, luxurious, sexy shoes that are also sustainable and cruelty-free. Every shoe incorporates European design and quality while using only animal-free, eco-friendly materials. We believe no one should sacrifice their style conscious just to serve their social conscience. Charmoné is focused on compassionate design:

COMPASSION FOR ANIMALS
This all started when a vegan friend, often clad in the latest, coolest, designer leather shoes, complained that all non-leather shoes were either a) ugly;  b) poor quality;  and often c) both! It got us thinking- why all the fuss about leather anyway? Isn’t there a way, in this modern age, to get away from using animal skins as the ultimate luxury? Traditionally, non-leather shoes were considered inferior due to poor construction, lack of breathability and generally being harder on the environment. We found a way to eliminate every traditional barrier by using high-quality Italian microfibers that are constructed exactly like leather, making them breathable, lightweight and colorfast. Not to mention water-resistant! So you can easily be a nice person while wearing killer heels. We won’t tell anyone.

COMPASSION FOR THE PLANET
How can you use synthetic materials and call it eco-friendly? Well, believe it or not, the process of creating microfiber is less polluting to the environment than the process of tanning, factory farming and processing leather. In addition, the materials are free from harmful PVCs, using instead a light polyurethane coating which is gentler on the environment. We also incorporate sustainable practices throughout the production process, from using last boards made from 70% pre-consumer waste to using recycled materials in our boxes, business cards and other printed materials. Who says it’s not easy being Green?

COMPASSION FOR PEOPLE
Charmoné shoes are made sweatshop-free in Italy and Brazil, ensuring you enjoy quality craftsmanship without contributing to harsh working conditions. In addition to minimizing the impact of manufacturing, Charmoné takes it a step further by donating 5% of all profits to charities that support people, animals and the environment. The first charity slated for donation is Women for Women International, a charity that provides women survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources they need to move from poverty and crisis to stability and self-sufficiency. We feel incredibly lucky to be doing what we love and hope to help others do the same.

The “Household Textile Environmental Impact Calculator” asks the user to answer a series or questions, using drop-down menus, to gather data on the purchase, disposal and care habits of the user. The user is asked to choose from a list of common clothing and household textile items, inputting how many of each item they buy and how they are disposed of in a twelve month period.  Finally, the users are asked how these items are washed, dried and ironed in a typical week. Push the magic button and Badda Bing, your score, or EDU’s (Environmental Damage Units)-a complex, mathematical environmental measure based on water and energy use, the use of non-renewable resources and the resulting pollution-is calculated. The overall EDU’s for each item of clothing depends on each individual consumer’s buying preferences, how they care for their garments and ultimately how they dispose of them.

The EDU scores range from the aptly named “Fashionably Obese, for those scoring 1500 EDU’s annually, to the less aptly named “Fashionably Unfashionable” (rest assured, its is in fact quite fashionable to have a minimal environmental impact), for those scoring 200 EDU’s or less. While educational, and sort of fun, the calculator is a little under inclusive, focusing on conventional textiles and their care and disposal without including more sustainable textile options.

For example, it compares cotton, wool, linen and silk items to polyester, nylon, and acrylic.  While linen, wool, silk and certain viscose fibers are often environmentally superior to synthetics, the calculator does offer organic cotton as opposed to conventional cotton, or organic wool as oppsed to conventional wool, as options, nor does it list other sustainable textiles such as hemp, soy, recycled fibers and the like.  Including these latter options would strengthen the tool’s advocacy appeal and educational value by allowing consumers to see how much impact they can have by making a few simple changes in their clothing purchases.

Despite the lack of sustainable fiber options (yes, there are a few in there, linen for one), the tool is a useful demonstration in how each of our choices can have a positive impact.  “You may be surprised at how much impact your personal or family clothing preferences have on the environment,” said Phil Patterson, managing director of Colour Connections. “Doing one fewer tumble drying cycle per week saves 170 EDU’s, which is enough to make the fabric for 50 pairs of underpants.”  That’s a lot of skivvies!

Source: Ecotextile News

So, where to begin? Your closet, of course. Do you any boots that could use a resoling or side zippers that need to be replaced? Maybe a strap has popped out of the sole of your favorite sandals and needs to be reanchored, or a dingy pair of Adidas needs a fresh pair of shoelaces to make them wearable again. Be aware that some fine, service-oriented companies like Mohop, may repair them for you. If you think your shoes fall into the Mom-And-Pop, luxury, or handmade categories, check their website to see if they’ll do the repairs in-house. Otherwise, you’ll need to find a quality cobbler near you. Use the Shoe Service Institute of America’s shoe repair shop locator. Just enter your zipcode and SSIA will serve you up a list of experienced solesavers in your neck of the woods.

It’s true there’s no more virtuous choice, environmentally-speaking, than making good with what you’ve already got. The second best option is to get high quality shoes on consignment. Consignment shops like Couture USA and Rodeo Drive Resale offer lightly used, designer goods at a fraction of the price. Jimmy Choo, here we come! Thankfully, there’s more and more high-quality sustainable shoe manufacturers coming online each season. Green Toe by Simple, Terra Plana, and Charmone are all companies dedicated to seeking out the most sustainable materials and manufacturing methods possible, while still managing to serve up up a healthy dose of style. Now if you only buy used or eco fabulous shoes from now on, be kind to them, and repair them for years to come, you may just make it into heaven after all for being so good!

Note how attending Catholic school for only one year in pre-school has affected my take on the eco fashion world. Curious. I could probably use a few Hail Manolos, I mean, Marys. (Darn it.)