If you love the earth-friendly shoe brand Naya as much as we do, you’ll be thrilled to know that their Spring 2011 line is already in stores. This season the company went heavy on the cork wedges, perfect for pairing with those short shorts, and lots of flirty, floral details.

For the fashionistas who want to further embrace Naya’s eco-chic approach, you can also join the brand’s Renew your Soles initiative. Naya has partnered with Soles4Souls, a charity organization that collects gently worn shoes for those in need, and whatever can’t be given away is recycled. So your shoes stay out of the landfills either way. Visit nayashoes.com for more details and to print out the downloadable form. As an added bonus, when you donate a pair of gently worn shoes, you will receive $20 off an $80 purchase* at shoes.com – see site for details!

-Kaci Hamilton

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Chic eco-friendly shoes isn’t something one frequently comes across when shopping for footwear. There is a need for such products, and as previously mentioned in FPD’s exclusive interview with Naya designer Kasey Gibbs, “Naya understands that women want eco-friendly footwear that fits into more aspects of their life. Women have a desire to help the environment but they also want to express their femininity and style.“  I gladly partook in the Naya shoe experience, compliments of the brand, that brings the eco experience full circle, down to the packaging of the shoes themselves (boxes made with 80% recycled paper pulp).

I selected the lovely Naya Nefertiti Boots in Chestnut, $289 to give the shoes a true test run, and discovered that the comfort, performance, and style was no different than any other pair of shoe in the same price range. I also think that these shoes are the absolute coolest! They go perfectly with leggings, jeggings, or regular jeans, tucked in or scrunched at the bottom. I’ll definitely be back for a second pair of shoes by Naya, and love the fact that finally a brand gets what it means to be eco and fashion forward at the same time.

-Julia DiNardo

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Fashion Pulse Daily: What is your personal experience with being eco-friendly, and what is your past design experience that brought you to Naya?

Kasey Gibbs: Supporting products that are gentle on the earth has always been important to me. My husband and I both make purchasing decisions based on whether or not a product’s packaging is renewable and try to compost and recycle our own trash as much as possible. I also only drive hybrids and can be seen around town in my Ford Fusion or Escape. There are many easy changes that each person can make, whether it’s not purchasing eggs in styrofoam containers or using paper instead of plastic bags at the grocery store.

The footwear industry has been creating eco-friendly shoes that were great for hiking or sitting by the campfire, but Naya understands that women want eco-friendly footwear that fits into more aspects of their life. Women have a desire to help the environment but they also want to express their femininity and style. The home goods industry has been “doing it right” for a while now. From bamboo flooring and sustainable glass to all the recyclable products – they made me see that products could be eco-friendly while still being beautiful. Observing the positive progress of the home goods industry, I was really inspired by the idea that it could be possible in footwear.

This is my first experience designing for an eco-friendly brand, though I have many years of experience in footwear design.

FPD: What was your biggest challenge in creating this line?

KG: The most challenging part about designing eco-friendly shoes was the paradigm switch or change in thought process we went through with our sources. However, it has completely changed the way we think about making shoes. We feel this will eventually be a big change for the entire industry if the consumer makes the choice to buy more stylish, comfortable, eco-friendly products. We know women want to look good, feel good and do good for themselves and the environment.

FPD: Can you tell me some of the key eco-friendly materials in the design?

KG: Naya chooses natural and earth-friendly materials whenever possible, including: vegetable-tanned leathers and linings, fabrics made with natural or recycled materials, foot beds containing natural cork, outsoles made with recycled materials, water-based cements, boxes made with 80 percent recycled paper pulp, soy-based inks and water-based glue.

Naya also reduces consumption by using recycled shoeboxes, reusable shoe bags, shoe forms made with recycled PET (recycled soda bottles) and creating earth-friendly ways to deliver our message.

FPD: Which style are you most excited about for fall?

KG: I love the Bakula, which goes with all of my favorite fall work wear. For the evening, I love Narubi in every color. It is perfect to wear with skinny jeans, leggings and short skirts. It’s so versatile it can be worn with the cuff down or up for that over-the-knee look that is so on trend for this fall.

FPD: I’d love to learn more about the process: finding these materials, manufacturing the shoes, what it was like producing eco-friendly shoes on a larger scale.

KG: Naya uses recycled content fabrics and boxes made with 80 percent recycled paper pulp. Naya shoes with a wedge heel are made from cork and recycled TPR, a material similar to rubber. Naya is also utilizing bamboo and leawood in many of our heels. Additionally, Naya utilizes scrap leather for linings which are part of Naya’s comfort promise, as they make the shoes feel smooth on the foot.

At Naya, our mission is to leave a gentler footprint on the planet and make eco-friendly choices wherever we can. Currently, we are making great strides in the use of eco-friendly materials and design elements, and this makes Naya’s overall carbon footprint smaller.

FPD: Ultimately, what would you like to achieve with Naya?

KG: We’re really pleased with the progress we have made so far as the first eco-friendly shoe line under Brown Shoe Company, Inc. We see this as a journey, with Naya as the first step. We’ve made a lot of progress in finding earth-friendly materials and components and we’re excited about the changes and our ability to make them affordable for women. We hope to generate as much awareness as possible about the importance of softening your global footprint.

FPD: For 2011, what can we look forward to? Will mens or other accessories be added to Naya?

We’re always looking for new earth-friendly initiatives that are important to Naya customers.. During April 2010, Naya partnered with Plant It 2020 for the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. For every pair of Naya Shoes bought on shoes.com, a tree was planted. We met our goal of planting more than 5,000 trees in one month.

This fall we are launching a campaign called Renew Your Soles, in which women can return gently worn pairs of shoes to be donated to people in need or if the shoes are at the end of their lifetime they will be recycled. We will provide you more information on this campaign as soon as possible.

We are interested in expanding the Naya brand in the future, but for now, we are focusing solely on creating the highest quality earth-friendly footwear for women.

-Julia DiNardo

Doing good is definitely the new chic. To be more precise, sustainability is on the minds of many brands these days –  H&M just released its first sustainable, organic collection, but before the massive chains jumped onto the environmental bandwagon, Simple Shoes was already pioneering green shoes with its dedication to using recycled and organic materials. The plastic it uses is from the water bottles you thoughtfully left in recycle bins, the squishy touch insoles in some Simple styles are from used carpet padding, and even their shoe boxes find their origins in recycled paper. To take a step further, Simple Shoes’ latest development is making biodegradable shoes: while normal shoes might take over a thousand years to degrade in landfills (incredible, right?), the brand’s new technology turns your abandoned Simple Shoes into nothing in twenty years.

All this talk of sustainability might be making you think plain or utilitarian rather than chic or cute, but Simple Shoes knows the true meaning of eco-chic. Their sneakers come in bright, contrasting colors for those of you looking for a pair that can spice up an outfit and pull you through a long trek. For Fall 2010, Simple Shoes released its Take On Ribbon shoes (picture above), which feature soles made from recycled car tires and ribbon laces made from…recycled soda bottles! Comfortable, chic and sustainable, Simple Shoes makes you feel good in every single way.

Julia and I both put our Green Toes into Simple Shoes (excuse the corniness…). They were truly comfortable and – before the rain became depressing – perfect for spring!

- Justina Lee

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Eco has never been so chic before, I swear! I recently found out about Green is Black, a Toronto-based retailer that caters to a strong eco, ethical, and sustainable sensibility for both men and women’s apparel, shoes, and accessories. The site is a prime example of how one doesn’t have to sacrifice style or fork over large sums of money to get great eco-minded wares. Most of the products on the site are made in Canada or North America with fair labor practices using hemp, organic cotton, bamboo, and soy, as well as reclaimed, recycled and vintage materials. Brands found on the site include both established and independent eco-minded designers such as Edun, League of lovers, Jack & Marjorie,Ecoist, Green Toe by Simple, Kate Organics, Nature vs Future, and my new personal favorite, Karamea.

Green is Black was kind enough to let me try out one of their offerings, and I couldn’t resist but go for the Kaye One Piece by Karamea, a convertible jumpsuit (straps or strapless)  in a charcoal grey color! I wore it to the David Yurman reception at Bloomingdale’s last week, and paired it with a sleek black blazer and hot pink pair of heels to make it more of an evening look. The cool thing about the jumpsuit is that it contains a bamboo/cotton blend, and was made domestically and sweatshop free. The site provides great information about each product so you really have a feel for the manufacturing process and ethical stance of each brand/product present on the site.

I spoke with site founder/owner Kerry MacMullan a bit more about Green is Black and thought it imporrant to ask: “For “newbies” to eco-fashion, what would you recommend as a good introductory fabric/item to start off with?” Kerry suggested  “either an organic jean (where there is no difference in look or feel), bamboo, which is ridiculously soft and luxurious feeling – or anything made with/or lined with a hemp/silk blend which is really soft, textured and sturdy.” Some examples are the del forte hazel jean, the dale sweater, and the mini oblesk skirt. The ultimate sale shopper, I found the Journey Tunic, $79.50 (was $106), made of bamboo and organic cotton to be a great versatile wardrobe piece, perfectly appropriate for work and the weekend.

I think it goes without saying that it’s time to ditch the notion that eco is synonmous with donning a burlap sack, and embrace the reality that ethical clothing can have both an environmental and chic value.

-Julia DiNardo

We’ve got some fab web snob-worthy links for you:
55 Secret Street gets a sneak preview of Maybelline’s Pulse Perfection Vibrating Mascara.
Stiletto Jungle is excited that Malia Mills for Martin+Osa is back for summer 2
Allie is Wired covers Lindsay Lohan’s Spanish Vogue photo shoot.
Bag Bliss: Foley + Corinna Handbags are the latest victim!
Fab Bag Giveaway- Happy Mother’s Day from VBH and Bag Snob!
Beauty Snob: Mom Snob Interviews with Bobbi Brown, Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece, and many more!
Coquette spots colorful sandals for under $100.
Fashion Pulse Daily gets a sneak peak at the fall/holiday Nine West Collection, and has to have the NineWest/New Balance collab sneakers!
KRISTOPHER DUKES is wanting, wearing, and hating Maggie Ward.
Second City Style shares their lusts and musts for Summer ’09.
Shopping and Info saw which celebrity in eco friendly shoes?
StyleBakery.com is loving colorful retro sunglasses this season.
Stylehive has party pics from Matthew Williamson’s H&M second collection launch party in NYC!
The Beauty Stop explains how to fake thick hair.
The Shoe Goddess got to play fairy godmother for the day and transform teen girls into Cinderellas for the The Cinderella Project in South Central Los Angeles.
TheMakeupGirl shows you her favorite hits (and misses) from The Met’s Annual Costume Institute Ball.

After much anticipation, the eco-friendly shoe line, dubbed Zoe & Zac, has arrived at Payless. Click here to view all of the current styles. As mentioned before, what makes this line so special is the fact that it is the first completely eco shoe collection to be offered in a mass retailer at affordable prices. For example, my two favorite styles – the  zoe&zac Tigerlily Espadrille Wedge ($26.99) and the zoe&zac Ginger Mary Jane ($24.99), pictured, features organic cotton uppers a knickel-free buckle, and recycled rubber outsoles, and recycled PET (from pop cans and water bottles). What’s your favorite style?

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