Sustainability is at Our Core
Created Ethically
All Alterre shoes are produced using a fair labor manufacturer called Pacific Shoes in Sapiranga, Brazil. We visit the factory ourselves about every few years and they have signed a detailed Supplier Code of Conduct with us to show their commitment for a range of things from protecting workers to not engaging in any form of human trafficking or involuntary labor.
We love working with our factory because it is managed by a woman and also has a program that sponsors any worker that wants to move to a management track. If the person who packs the shoes into the boxes wants to go up the chain, the factory will train them and even pay for qualification programs!
Butterfly Mark Certified
We commit to assessing the factory as new sustainability standards arise or when we visit in person. If they ever do not meet our ethics standards, we commit to withhold our orders or switch our production to a suitable alternate factory until they resolve the issue.
Because of this commitment, we have been awarded the Butterfly Mark from Positive Luxury for our excellence in sustainability. We are assessed by them every two years to ensure we are meeting any new sustainability standards. Learn more about our score using the button below.
Sustainable Materials
We know that sustainable products start with sustainable materials and production. Our goal is to source materials that have a lower impact on the environment whenever possible. We also reduce both out leather and plastic waste by making our heels with recycled plastic and using a laser cutter for our patterns. Most of our components are even sourced within the same city as our factory, which helps reduce our carbon footprint and support the local economy.
Giving Back
Our shoes are made for and inspired by strong women. That's why we always give 5% of our profits to Restore NYC. Restore is a non-profit organization that provides long-term rehabilitation to victims of sex-trafficking in New York, which is one of the largest global markets for human trafficking. By giving these ladies an education, a place to stay for up to a year and placement with local and national companies, Restore breaks the cycle of abuse these women endure, and gives them a fresh start.
In our continuing efforts to empower women, we also provide peer to peer counseling as Entrepreneurs-in-Residence at Restore NYC for survivors who are starting their own businesses.
Offering Repair Solutions
We're committed to helping you consume less by repairing your shoes. If one of the studs comes off of the sole of our shoes, you can request a free DIY Stud Repair Kit anytime. It has easy instructions for you to repair the stud at home.
For any other repairs such as cleaning or heel tip replacements, we suggest using an online shoe repair service called the The Cobblers. Just request the repair you want, print out the free label, and mail them your shoes.
Donating Instead of Destroying
Our goal is to create a circular brand, which means we've structured our business so that our shoes can be re-used at the end of the fashion cycle. That means we donate our unworn but discontinued shoes or lightly worn samples/returns to Soles4Souls instead of destroying them. Soles4Souls is a non-profit organization that collects shoes to distribute to those in need both within the U.S. and internationally, as well as empower women by providing them shoes to re-sell.
Alterre Pairs Donated: 532 | Value: $59,120
Looking to the Future
Through our sustainability efforts, we are working towards acheiving Goals 5, 8, and 12 from the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals, a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.
