Want to make your life easier and cut down your carbon footprint whilst you’re at it?

Here’s our online shopping guide to help you do just that

When it comes to buying shoes online, as simple as it may sound, ordering the right size will make a huge difference to you and mother nature. How many times have you ordered multiple sizes of the same shoes, and then had to go through the effort of returning the ones that don’t fit? Although most people don’t give intentional returns a second thought, the planet is suffering the consequences.

Have you ever considered the impact of your returns on the planet?

In recent years, the focus of sustainable  fashion has seemed to be on production, often with little thought being given to returns. Although choosing ethical brands and vegan shoes over animal-made products is a positive step, there is a lack of awareness surrounding the returns from online shopping. According to Forbes “worldwide, approximately 17 billion items are being returned every year. This totals to 4.7 million metric tons of CO2 emitted yearly”. Therefore, with the planet currently facing a climate emergency, it is more important than ever that we all do our bit to help where we can. This includes ordering the right pair of shoes (preferably vegan shoes), the first-time round.

Unsurprisingly, for a little extra time before you put the shoes in your basket, you can save your future self a job and help the planet. The secret ladies and gentlemen… measure your feet. You may not think you need to, but over the years our feet can change, altering our fit preference and style.

Since our feet swell throughout the day to adapt to various conditions, on average our feet are the most swollen in the afternoon at around 3pm, meaning this is the perfect time to measure your feet! So, even if you can’t wait until 3pm, let’s walk you through measuring your feet:

1. Grab a measuring tape (most will do) and your bare feet
2. Measure from the back of your heel to the tip of your longest toe (in a straight line)
3. Write down the measurement in cm or inches (to two decimal places)
4. Repeat with the other foot

Now wasn’t that easier than you thought! It’s important not to panic if one foot was bigger than the other, this is actually very common, just use the bigger foot’s measurements. For the next step, located next to your desired online shoes will likely be a size guide. This little baby you may have always ignored is about to become your new best friend.

Have a look at the size guide to see if the measurements given are of the foot, or the shoe. If they are of the shoe, it’s important to bear in mind that you should have around ½ of an inch of space between the end of your longest toe and the front of the shoe, so maybe add a bit onto your measurements. However, if the measurements are of the foot, as is the case with our website, go ahead and find your perfect fit. If you are still unsure on which size will be best for you, like most companies we encourage you to please contact us, since here at NAE Vegan we are more than happy to advise on the best option for you.

From purchasing vegan sandals to vegan boots, this one extra step before buying online shoes is sure to cut down your carbon footprint. Reducing your returns has never seemed more important than when considering the impact of the rise of compulsive consumerism, due to unnecessary shopping events such as Black Friday. Just think how good you’ll feel knowing that through only ordering the pair of shoes you intend to keep, you won’t create the unnecessary production of excess shoes (reducing the carbon dioxide excelled at the factory), or the emissions from the delivery, and return, of the surplus shoes.

So let’s cut our emissions trails together. Let’s make a difference to help the planet!

Have a happy, healthy day!

The NAE Team