I was recently shopping in the local mall and I decided to go into Journey’s and check out their shoes. I wasn’t planning on buying anything, just killing some time. As I was looking around the store, I spotted some shoes on a lower shelf. They looked very comfortable and unique so I picked them up to have a closer look. The first thing I noticed once the shoe was in my hand was the inside of it. It was probably the most “cushiony” insole I had ever felt. A salesperson walked over and started telling me about the shoes.
GUMshoes are made by a company called Simple (simpleshoes.com), who refer to themselves as “the nice little shoe company getting in touch with its inner hippie”. So I tried on a pair in my size. They were so comfortable I decided I had to have them!
After buying the GUMshoes, I started to look into the different reason’s as to why they are vegan friendly and Earth friendly shoes. Here are a few of them:
The sole is made from 60% recycled car tires, the other 40% being natural rubber.
There are no animal regular products or byproducts used in making GUMshoes
They don’t use any glue for the assembly (using mostly stitching and a “thimble full of water based adhesives”, citing that most shoe manufacturers use 2 shot glasses worth of glue for a pair of shoes
The water-based adhesives have no petroleum in them, reducing our dependence on oil
The cushiony insole I mentioned is made from recycled carpet padding
The box and foot form inserts are recycled paper and cardboard
I was very impressed with how Earth friendly and animal friendly these shoes really are. However, I was even more impressed with the how comfortable GUMshoes are to wear. They are very easy to slip on, but they don’t end up falling off of your foot randomly. The insole is even more comfortable on the foot than what I thought it would be when I pushed on it with my thumb. Wearing GUMshoes barely feels like you are wearing shoes at all, aside from the protection the sole and insole provide from rough terrain. They feel much more natural than any of the other shoes I have ever owned.
I would recommend GUMshoes to anyone looking for a comfortable shoe, whether or not you are vegan or care about our Earth. But for those of you that are like me and do care about the environment, these shoes are doubly or triply (for vegans/animal lovers) rewarding. Simple calls them the “sustainable” shoe due to the method in which they are manufactured being good for a sustainable Earth. They may also be saying that the shoe is sustainable itself, as GUMshoes feel very durable.
There are two reviews of the shoe on Simple’s website saying:
The GUMshoe is good for “around home use and walking short distances such as car to school, car to coffee shop, and shopping. They are also “comfortable, durable, unique and breath well”.
Another reviewer said “this shoe is the closest thing I have had to walking around the airport bare foot. Great to have on all day. I would defiantly recommend a half size up for best comfort.”
All in all, I am very happy with my GUMshoes and I would say they are the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned. I would definitely recommend these shoes to anyone looking to pamper his or her feet.
