WHERE IT ALL BEGAN:

The people who started Veja had worked on sustainability projects all over the world, and they thought it was time to show that innovative design, fair trade, and being good to the environment could all go together. The two went to Brazil to meet with people who grow organic cotton and get wild Amazonian rubber from trees. And so Veja began.
The two people now work with 350 families who are part of 5 cooperatives. Their first designs were based on a Brazilian volleyball shoe from the 1970s, but they quickly changed into the different collections we know and love today.

"We won't stop showing people that fashion design and respect for the environment are possible, even if it's not the easiest thing to do." Sébastien Kopp 

What are the designs, their Performances and USPs?

Designs:

• Veja Campo: A low-top sneaker made from sustainable materials, featuring a leather and organic cotton canvas upper and a natural rubber sole
• Veja V-10: A classic leather sneaker with a perforated toe and side panels, made from sustainable materials and featuring a natural rubber sole
• Veja Esplar: A casual low-top sneaker made from sustainable materials, featuring a leather upper with a signature "V" logo in rubber and a natural rubber sole
• Veja Nova: A modern sneaker with a sleek design, featuring a leather and mesh upper made from sustainable materials and a natural rubber sole
• Veja Venturi:  is a casual sneaker designed for both style and comfort. The upper of the shoe is made of a blend of materials, including vegan suede, leather, and mesh, that gives the shoe a unique and textured look.  
• Veja SDU: A casual low-top sneaker made from recycled materials, featuring a knit upper made from recycled polyester and recycled cotton, and a wild rubber sole.
• Veja Wata: A low-top sneaker made from organic cotton canvas and wild rubber, featuring a "V" logo in vegan suede.
• Veja Rio Branco: A retro-inspired sneaker made from sustainable materials, featuring a suede and mesh upper and a natural rubber sole.
• Veja Roraima: A high-top sneaker made from sustainable materials, featuring a leather and organic cotton canvas upper and a natural rubber sole.
• Veja Urca: A low-top sneaker made from sustainable materials, featuring a leather and organic cotton canvas upper and a natural rubber sole. The Urca also features a unique lacing system that allows the shoe to be easily slipped on and off.

Performance:

• All Veja styles are designed with sustainable materials, making them environmentally conscious choices for consumers
• The Veja Campo and Veja Esplar styles are casual sneakers designed for everyday wear, featuring a comfortable fit and natural rubber soles for traction and durability
• The Veja V-10 style is a classic leather sneaker with a perforated toe and side panels, designed for both comfort and style with a natural rubber sole for traction and durability
• The Veja Nova style is a modern sneaker designed for both fashion and function, featuring a sleek design and breathable mesh upper for comfort during physical activity

Unique Selling Points:

• All Veja styles use sustainable materials, making them a unique and environmentally conscious choice for consumers
• The Veja Campo and Veja Esplar styles feature a leather and organic cotton canvas or leather upper respectively, providing a unique and stylish look for casual wear
• The Veja V-10 style features a perforated toe and side panels, providing unique and practical ventilation for the foot
• The Veja Nova style features a sleek and modern design, combining fashion and function with a breathable mesh upper and natural rubber sole for traction and durability. Additionally, Veja donates a portion of the profits from each pair of Veja Nova sold to organizations working to combat deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.

Overall, Veja offers a range of sustainable and stylish sneaker options for consumers, with unique designs, and These are just a few of the shoe designs created by Veja. The brand is known for its commitment to sustainability and ethical production, and each of their designs reflects this commitment in both form and function.     

THE MATERIALS:



In the northeast of Brazil, in the state of Ceará, there are big differences in wealth, the soil is weak, and droughts happen often. In contrast to the common monoculture farming system, a group of small producers grow cotton and food plants using agro-ecology principles that ban agrochemicals and pesticides.

For these small farmers, who have an average of 1 hectare of land, farming growth and protecting the environment go hand in hand. Veja buys cotton from 320 families who live off of organic farming. following rules for fair trade. This cotton is spun into threads, which are then used to weave canvas for Veja shoes and other items.

ESPLAR is a Brazilian NGO based in Fortaleza, in the state of Ceará. The sneaker style is named after ESPLAR. 
ESPLAR helps organic cotton farmers with technical support and advice in the field, which helps them promote the agro-ecological paradigm.
ESPLAR's agricultural engineers help farmers organize and protect their crops by giving them support and advice. By planting neem trees, for example, they have given the cotton plants a natural way to stay safe. Insects that eat cotton are naturally scared away by the oil that comes from the neem fruit.

Mixed farming gives the cotton farmers food all year long and keeps the fragile soils in good shape. In the fields, farmers grow corn, sesame seeds, and beans, which they eat every day. Cotton is also grown there.
Agroecology is a way of farming that is becoming more and more popular among farmers in the area. They see it as a way to take care of the land and also keep themselves healthy. Pesticides can hurt them, but this new way of farming keeps them safe.

WILD RUBBER:


Only in the Amazon do rubber trees grow naturally in the wild.
Inside the Chico Mendes extractive reserve in the Brazilian state of Acre, Veja works with Seringeiros from Amopreab, a group of rubber tappers. They have also just started working with two new groups in the state of Acre: "Parque da Cigana" and "Seringal Curralinho." Both of these groups are in the Feijó District. Today, 60 Seringeiro families are taking part in our project.

Rubber tappers in the Amazon live in the forest and get their food from the trees. The rubber is then used to make the soles of trainers made by Veja.
Since the 1960s, the growing use of synthetic rubber made from oil has made the price of natural rubber very low.

So, the people who lived in the forest have stopped tapping rubber trees and started doing more profitable things like raising cattle and cutting down trees. Both of these activities require clearing land. Because of this, soils are no longer protected by the cover of plants and are more likely to erode quickly and turn into deserts.

For the Amazonian rainforest to stay alive, its resources need to be used in a more sustainable way. One of them is latex made from rubber plants.
A fair price for latex means that rubber tappers will make more money and might be seen as a reason to keep trees standing.

PRODUCTION:



Veja trainers are made in factories in the state of Rio Grande Do Sul, which is in South Brazil. This is a well-developed area. Extra hours are paid for, and workers' rights are respected. Over the years that Veja has worked with them, the factories have become real partners. Because Veja's standards are always changing, they have to adapt and keep making the manufacturing conditions better. As part of the certification process (FLO-Cert and Ecolabel), social audits have been done in the factories. This has also helped this progress.

How true to size are VEJA shoes?
Most of the time, VEJA shoes fit true to size, so we recommend getting your usual size. Like most leather shoes, it may take a few wears for the shoe to mold to the shape of your foot. If you are on the border between two sizes, choose the smaller one!

Are VEJA sneakers leather?

VEJA makes both leather and vegan sneakers. Unlike other retailers, VEJA is working on two major ways to improve the quality and composition of their sneakers. VEJA is dedicated to making sure that none of their leather comes from the Amazon or from an area where trees were cut down to make room for cattle farms.

When making leather sneakers, animal skins are treated with chemicals in a process called tanning to make sure they don't wear out over time. Unfortunately, the process of tanning puts a lot of stress on the environment because it creates a lot of wastewater for every ton of tanned leather made. Not only that, but tanning also releases pollutants like chromium, lead, mercury, and various other pathogens, which pollutes the environment.
VEJA wants to have as little effect on the environment as possible, which is why they use chrome tanning (which isn't harmful when it isn't oxidized) and vegetable tanning. Vegetable tanning is used on 10% of VEJA models. This process uses only natural tannin and has no negative effects on the environment.
Since 2013, VEJA has also been using fish leather in its designs. The leather comes from freshwater fish farms where unused fish that would otherwise be thrown away are used by the brand!

Are all VEJA sneakers vegan?

The V10 and the Campo are two of the vegan sneakers that VEJA sells.

Fair trade is another important foundation on which VEJA is built. Before a single seed is planted, the brand works directly with farmers in Peru and Brazil to set prices and contracts for their organic cotton. Alternative materials like tilapia and experiments with chrome-free suede, leathers, and wild rubber are also in the works to make the brand more sustainable.

How to take care of your VEJA shoes?

We recommend spraying your VEJAs with a waterproof solution before you wear them to keep them in great shape.
For canvas VEJAs, just use a brush and a good quality cleaning solution to get rid of any scuffs or marks. Don't put them in the washing machine, as this could cause the leather inserts to come off.
Leather styles need to be kept in good shape by using cleaning solutions that condition the leather.

 materials that set them apart from other shoe brands. 

additional reading https://project.veja-store.com/en