Patagonia Early, Nau Late?

While Nau have found a a few pot holes along the road in bringing their green outdoor gear to market, with a new release date now aimed at the end of Feb, Patagonia seem to have found a pogo stick. Originally slated for a March launch, their website is now selling the new line of greener footwear. The thong shown employs a 20% recycled rubber outsole on a hemp/burlap substrate with a rice fibre footbed. At the other end of the spectrum is the full on Gore-tex lined hiking boot, which uses a 30% recycled rubber outsole, 15% recycled EVA midsole and 70% recycled content footbed. While none of the range would seem to be the definitive eco-shoe, it is nevertheless an important step in the right direction.

Though we do wonder about the very odd ‘DIY’ (pic below). $30 USD to make your own moccasins, tool free, from factory leather scraps. My taste might be in my mouth, but can’t say the aesthetics strike me as overly appealing. Nor durable with all that seaming looking like it is on the underside of the shoe. Maybe it’s more of a goer in the flesh. An intriguing experiment, anyhow. ::Patagonia Footwear.