Your Favourite Street Sneakers Are Now Also Performance-Ready

Veja has just launched the Marlin, the brand's latest range of stylish and sustainable running shoes.

Since launching in 2004, the French company has set about changing the face and feet of fashion with its line of sustainable sneakers. Veja—known for its transparency, environmental and social responsibility, and fair-trade sourcing— has seen international success with over 3.5 million pairs of shoes sold in over 60 countries and stocked in over 2,500 retailers worldwide.

Veja’s eco-conscious formula has proven effective, with a long list of celebrities, influencers and eco-warriors embracing the brand and its ethos, the likes of which include Meghan Markle, Emma Watson, Marion Cotillard and Reece Witherspoon.

Veja Marlin

The Marlin arrives just 18 months after the release of the brand’s first running shoe, the Condor. While the Condor and Condor 2 are perfect for casual runs, the Marlin—named after one of the fastest and most athletic fishes in the ocean—was made with both the environment and performance in mind.

According to Veja, “the materials employed to manufacture running shoes are 99% plastic, especially polymers that are 99% petroleum-based.” The world’s dependence on plastic and oil has led to what can only be described as an ecological disaster which is why Veja has sought to find innovative and sustainable solutions.

The Condor, released in 2019 after four years of research and development, was the first post-petroleum running shoe, created with bio-based and recycled materials. With the Marlin, Veja’s goal was to enhance performance, technically improving the shoe while using the same eco-friendly materials used to make the Condor.

What Are They Made Of?

The outsole is made using one of Veja’s primary raw materials: Amazonian rubber. This rubber is bought directly from cooperatives formed by families of seringueiros (rubber tappers) from the Amazon. This practice also helps protect the forest by avoiding deforestation and intensive cattle breeding.

The Marlin’s upper is both light and breathable and made of 100% recycled plastic bottles. The inside of the shoe is an L-foam expanded latex cushion made from 30% natural latex from Brazil. This material is super-resilient, non-heat sensitive and offers a high shock absorption capacity. Perfect for making the ideal running shoe.

Last are the Pebax heel support inserts and V logo, made of 100% Ricinus oil. “Pebax is both light and strong, providing great support where it is most needed without extra weight.”

The result is a shoe that is light, strong, supportive, comfortable and far less harmful to our precious earth.

Take your pick of these Marlin styles:

Marlin V-Knit in Chalk Black Ultraviolet