Time to snag those gorgeous Charmoné shoes you have long coveted.   Closing out this collection, which means you save over $200 a pair!  $299 Italian designed, eco friendly, designer footwear for $49.  Seriously.

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.

Women’s Wear Daily is considered by some as the “bible of fashion.” And while I don’t actually feel God/Jehovah/Krishna/Muhammed/Madonna (yes, I mean Ciccone) has spoken here, we are still quite thrilled to see Greenloop and owner Aysia Wright be lauded by this industry tome as the “Zappos of sustainable brands.”

Being awarded the Best Online Shop by Treehugger’s Best In Green Awards and getting recognized by WWD all at once has made for quite a (I’m gonna stick with the religious angle here) blessing. Check out the article by Jennifer Ernst Beaudry here…

Aysia Wright was a lawyer and environmental activist in the spring of 2004, when she decided that fashion retail would be her next challenge. “I wanted to get out of practicing law, and I felt that fashion is so pervasive it can serve as a catalyst, and it was a really good platform for an environmental message,” she said. In September of that year, Wright founded her 900-sq.-ft. Portland, Ore., eco-boutique, Greenloop, and launched a Website soon after. Both carry a mix of clothing and footwear. In the beginning, it wasn’t easy to grow her niche — with green retail not as recognizable or widespread as it is today, and with fewer brands to choose from. But working in a field she’s so passionate about has its upside. “It was a huge challenge,” Wright said, “but it’s fun. And within the design community, [green brands] are a nice group of people to work for and advocate for.”

THE RIGHT MIX
To be considered for Greenloop, Wright said, brands have to fill out a detailed questionnaire about where they manufacture, what textiles they use, where they source and more. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis — but no matter how good the green pedigree is, she said, the shoes have to be durable and trend-right. If not, Wright explained, “[the shoes] are inherently unsustainable because no one will wear them and they won’t last.” Greenloop stocks shoes from Beyond Skin, Melissa Shoes, Toms, Simple, Terra Plana, Autonomie Project and Charmoné. Prices range from $30 to $350, and shoes, available for men and women, account for 15 percent to 20 percent of the store’s business, which registers slightly less than $1 million a year. Variety, Wright said, is key: “There’s a little something for everyone.”

Greenloop Stimulus Package. Take 25% off all sale items, use code: SALE25

Ethiopia…land of the original coffee bean, breathtaking waterfalls, and the history-making, inspired leadership of Emperor Haile Selassie I. Ethiopian people are some of the most beautiful in the world, as well as some of the poorest. Too many people in this country suffer and die from diseases that are completely preventable, like podoconiosis.