Our Commitment to the Planet
Our Commitment to the Planet
At Free Spirit, we believe the outdoors is more than just a space - it’s a sense of freedom. It’s the deep breath at the top of a hill, the steady rhythm of a coastal walk, the sheer joy that comes from moving your body in fresh air.
This freedom to explore comes with a responsibility to help protect the places that give us that freedom.
That’s why sustainability is built into the way we design our products, choose our materials and work with our manufacturing partners.
We know no product can ever be completely impact-free, but we believe every step towards doing better matters.
Our Products
When designing Free Spirit sandals, we carefully select materials that balance comfort, durability and environmental responsibility.
Our leathers are LWG (Leather Working Group) certified, meaning they come from tanneries that meet strict environmental standards.
The leather is finished using chromium-free vegetable dyes, a more natural tanning process that avoids heavy metals and reduces chemical impact.
Many of the textile elements in our sandals are also designed with sustainability in mind. Our mesh materials are made from recycled plastic bottles, helping to give new life to materials that might otherwise end up in landfill or the ocean.
Even the smaller details matter. Decorative trims and ornaments are produced using industrial off-cuts from larger materials, ensuring valuable resources are reused rather than wasted. All trims are also required to be 100% free of heavy metals.
Inside the sandal, comfort comes from expanded latex cushioning, a plant-originated material that naturally retains its shape and memory over time.
For the sole unit, we take a strict approach to materials. Fossil-fuel-based plastics such as PU, PCU, PP and PVC are banned, and instead we prioritise recycled rubber, helping reduce the demand for new raw materials.
We also use water-based glues during construction, reducing the use of harsher solvent-based adhesives.
Our Packaging
We believe packaging should protect the product without harming the planet.
Our packaging is FSC certified, meaning the materials are either recycled or sourced from responsibly managed forests where raw materials can be traced back to specific reforestation projects.
We’ve also designed our packaging to be glue-free and plastic-free, reducing unnecessary materials wherever possible.
All printing on our packaging uses water-based inks, which are far less harmful to the environment than traditional solvent-based alternatives.
These choices allow us to keep our packaging simple, recyclable and responsible.
Our Factories & Buildings
We work with manufacturing partners who share our commitment to reducing environmental impact.
The factories that produce Free Spirit products are Certified Industrial Waste Free. This means that 100% of industrial waste generated during production is treated or reused, and no residual waste is sent to landfill.
Water is also carefully managed within the manufacturing process. Industrial water is treated and recycled, helping to minimise waste and reduce environmental impact.
At our UK head office, we are working to reduce our footprint. Our workspace is powered by solar energy during sunny days, helping us move towards more renewable energy use in our daily operations.
Looking Forward
Sustainability is not a destination — it’s an ongoing journey.
As Free Spirit continues to grow, we will keep exploring new ways to improve our materials, reduce waste and protect the natural environments that inspire everything we do.
Because the freedom to explore tomorrow depends on the choices we make today.