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Earth Month 2023: DSquared2 & More Brands Celebrating Environmentalism With New Shoe Releases & Initiatives

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Earth Month is here, celebrating environmentalism and sustainability during the month of April. With Earth Day — which began in the 1970s as a day to celebrate the Earth’s environment — on April 22, numerous brands have released new collaborations, limited-edition collections and products celebrating sustainable materials and responsible production. Discover them all, below.

DSquared2 drops eco-friendly Smurfs collection

DSquared2’s latest brand collaboration with its One Life One Planet line spotlights the nature-loving Smurfs, crafted in honor of Earth Month. The $115-$1,370 men’s and women’s capsule features a wide array of jeans, windbreakers, jackets, sweatshirts, button-down shirts, sweatshirts and T-shirts and knits; all feature Dan and Dean Caten’s signature red maple leaf, as well as cartoon prints of the beloved Handy Smurf, Brainy Smurf, Love Smurf, Papa Smurf and Smurfette. The blue, red and yellow-colored range is rounded out with sustainably made lace-up cotton canvas sneakers. You can shop the collection now in DSquared2 stores and the brand’s website.

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DSquared2 x Smurfs’ Smurf sneakers.
CREDIT: Courtesy of DSquared2

Allbirds launches low-carbon Superlight sneaker line

Allbirds is giving its lightweight sneakers a low-carbon spin for Earth Day with its new Superlight collection — which also boasts the title of lightest commercially available shoes. The line has launched on Allbirds’ website, featuring two eco-friendly takes on its signature sporty styles: the $115 Superlight Tree Runner running sneakers and the $120 Superlight Trainer gym shoes. Each features carbon-neutral midsoles with its signature SweetFoam material, as well as uppers crafted with eucalyptus fibers, regenerative wool and recycled polyester. Both styles are now available on Allbirds’ website in men’s and women’s sizing in a tonal color palette of black, white, teal, taupe and olive green.

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Allbirds’ Superlight Tree Runner sneakers.
CREDIT: Courtesy of Allbirds

Dr. Scholl’s releases sustainable sandal edit

Dr. Scholl’s is highlighting their sustainable shoe styles in a new Earth Month edit. Originally ranging from $60-$140, the Sustainable Shoes edit features the brand’s staple men’s and women’s sandals, slip-ons and sneakers crafted with materials including recycled bottles, Sustera foam and waterless dyeing techniques. Additionally, for each style purchased, the brand will donate a tree to Trees for the Future — which focuses on developing land in communities worldwide.

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Dr. Scholl’s Northern sneakers.
CREDIT: Courtesy of Dr. Scholl's

Keen drops new sustainable sneakers and sandals

Keen is launching new eco-friendly shoe styles, just in time for Earth Month. The brand’s latest $140 Ellecity slides and $140 Ellecity Backstrap sandals feature wedged platforms with LWG-certified leather uppers and comfortable foam insoles. Meanwhile, its $130 Elle Mixed slides feature crossed LWG-certified leather straps, while the similar $135 Elle Mixed Strap sandals feature the same silhouette with an added back strap. The range is complete with its’ Harvest Collection’s newest $140 women’s Elsa and $140 Eldon men’s sneakers: low-top sneaker styles with patchwork uppers crafted from car seat scraps, complete with plant-based PU soles for lower greenhouse gas emissions.

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Keen’s Elsa sneakers.
CREDIT: Courtesy of Keen

SeaVees gives back during Earth Month

SeaVees is continuing its eco-friendly shoe initiatives for Earth Month, with $5 from every purchase made in April benefitting the SeaTrees program of nonprofit Sustainable Surf — which plants and restores blue carbon projects in various ecosystems. As part of the launch, the brand has also dropped three new men’s and women’s shoe styles. The first is the groove-soled $98 Melrose platform sneakers, featuring tabs made from vegan corn leather. The second features the $88 Royal Runner sneakers, made with Tencel Lyocell, organic cotton duck canvas uppers and recycled rubber outsoles. Rounding out the trio is a new shoe in SeaVees’ SeaChange line: its $88-$92 SeaChange LTT sneakers, crafted with white vegan corn leather uppers in hues of cream, black, red, brown and dark blue. All are now available on SeaVees’ website.

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SeaVees’ SeaChange LTT sneakers.
CREDIT: Courtesy of SeaVees

Everlane goes low-carbon with new sneaker

In time for Earth Month, Everlane launched a new sneaker style created with the lowest CO2 emissions of any of its sneakers to-date — The Tread-Bare Sneaker. The shoe, which retails for $130, is made with recycled cotton and milk from Hevea trees, and is only 4.78 kg of CO2e. The stylish silhouette comes in three colorways: Canvas, Pale Pink and Multi, to suit a range of personal styles, seasons and occasions. The canvas laceup also has a natural latex rubber outsole and a padded foam collar for extra comfort. Additionally, Everlane has also released the limited-edition ReTrack Collection of casual wear, with all pieces in the apparel collection made from recycled materials.

Everlane Tread-Bare Sneaker low carbon
Everlane’s new Tread-Bare Sneaker has the lowest carbon footprint of any of its sneakers.
CREDIT: Courtesy of Everlane

Earth gives back to the community

In keeping with its name, Earth is highlighting its responsible footwear offerings in April, including the Genie sandal, made of 100 percent recycled materials. The vegan, slip-on flat style retails for $69 at Earthshoes.com. Additionally, the brand’s team is volunteering with Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Earth Day, spending their time helping with coastal cleanup and horticultural projects to give back to the community.

Earth Genie sandal
Earth Genie sandal
CREDIT: Courtesy of Earth

Urban Outfitters’ Green Light edit spotlights homeware

Urban Outfitters has released its Green Light edit for Earth Day. The retailer’s curation of pieces, which ranges from $8-$1,700, highlights colorful decorations, furniture and home goods crafted with sustainable practices and materials. The lineup, which includes brands addybambi, Lorena Canals, Avenie and PSTR Studio, is available now on UO’s website.

Patagonia encourages repairs with Worn Wear Repair kit

Patagonia — which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year — is encouraging re-wearing and repairing your wardrobe with a kit for Earth Month. The brand has just launched its new $49 Worn Wear Repair Kit, a rolled-up Fair Trade Certified kit that includes needles, sewing thread and Gear Aid repair patches to address holes, rips or tears in your clothing. The kit also features scannable QR codes to videos with repair tips, as well.

Kindly launches Beech tree-based intimates

Kindly, the sustainable, female-led intimates brand, has released its new spring collection with new eco-friendly materials for Earth Month. The brand’s colorful new purple, yellow, red and gray line of bras and briefs features two capsules: the Super Soft Modal and So Comfy lines, respectively made from Beech tree-sourced modal fabric and recycled nylon and Lycra Adaptive fiber spandex. Both are now exclusively available from $13-$23 on Walmart’s website.

Silk Laundry

Silk Laundry is launching its newest line of sustainable silk staples ahead of Earth Day. The brand, whose OEKO-TEX certified pieces are responsibly crafted by artisan silk makers, features lightweight $170-$575 separates like slip dresses, shirts, pants and cardigans in hues of yellow, blue, rust and black — complete with delicate floral and bird prints. The new collection is now available on Silk Laundry’s website.

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Silk Laundry’s short sleeve boyfriend shirt.
CREDIT: Courtesy of Silk Laundry

State Cashmere drops new pure Kashmir goat knitwear styles

Sustainable cashmere brand State Cashmere is bringing environmental friendliness to the forefront in its spring collection. The AAPI-owned label’s men’s and women’s lines feature a new variety of $100-$175 sweaters and vests, crafted with its signature pure cashmere — which hails directly from Kashmir goats combed by Inner Mongolian shepherds. You can shop the new styles now on State Cashmere’s website.

DANZ releases BioLeather and SeaCell separates

Womenswear brand DANZ is utilizing eco-friendly materials for its new spring 2023 collection. The brand’s latest line is emphasizing its signature vegan BioLeather and chemical waste-free SeaCell fabric across a range of sleek separates, including pleated miniskirts, cutout tops, cropped jackets and cargo trousers. Ranging from $195-$795, the collection is now live on DANZ’s website.

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DANZ’s BioLeather cropped tailored leather jacket.
CREDIT: Courtesy of DANZ

Von Holzhausen launches new Liquidplant technology

Sustainable shoe and accessory brand Vol Holzhausen has introduced its ecologically friendly technologies to the lifestyle space for Earth Month. In addition to its innovative vegan Technik, Struktur and Banbū leathers, the brand has now launched Liquidplant — an agricultural waste-based topcoat made with corn sugar, castor and flaxseed oils, which can be used as a protective coating on animal and vegan leathers, textiles, paint and wood. The accomplishment follows the brand’s range of sustainable achievements over the last year, including the launch of its first shoe: the chic $295 Ballet flats, made from its signature Banbū leather — which uses 1/3 less water than other organic fibers.

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