Worn Again Escape Trainers Review
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As the classic hemp sandals stereotype reveals, smart shoppers have historically suffered a lack of decent ethical footwear. The recent(ish) arrival of No Sweat, Ethletic and Blackspot radically improved affairs -- but only if you dig trainers that look like Converse All Stars. That's why these recycled trainers are such a breath of fresh air.
They come with a good pedigree, designed by eco action group Anti-Apathy (they of The Nag repute) and Terra Plana, a high-end ethical shoe brand set up by Galahad Clark of Clarks' shoe fame.
In our humble opinion, the design's cooler than the depths of an A++ fridge-freezer. We weren't the only ones to like the design, either, with the obviously recycled materials making for a good talking point with strangers and friends.
This particular pair is made from old t-shirts, jeans and rubber soles (other styles feature reborn military jackets and fire-fighters' suits), which are sourced from China to keep 'trainer miles' down. Although Worn Again is no Nike in scale, the recycling does make a small dent in China's waste mountain.
When strapped on, the trainers are really, really comfortable, with our size nine pair fitting almost perfectly. The shoes make recycling hip and keep a few textiles out of landfill, but how ethical are the trainers' production?
The Daily Mail visited and reported on Worn Again's supplier, the Brilliant shoe factory in Tangxia (in Guangdong, China) and spoke to factory employees. Workers told the Mail they "had no contact with outside contractors and said that pay and conditions were so poor that many more employees were considering leaving or seeking jobs in the nearby Sanyo electronics plant."
Living conditions came in for criticism: "[The factory workers] complained bitterly about the cramped, grimy living conditions where ten workers share one small 16 square metre room, and said canteen food was so bad they ate in cheap cafes outside the factory when they could afford to." The Mail's report did include some positives though, including the fact that workers were paid £1.70 a day, or 20p more than the national average.
We also like Worn Again's transparent attitude. As well as helping the Mail with its article, it publishes substantial information about working conditions and eco issues on its website. Highlights include underused but helpful forums, featuring an interesting tract by the company's Cyndi Rhoades on workarounds to China's ban on the right to unionise. Plus Worn Again carbon offsets each pair of trainers for 15p, which is unlikely to go very far but is more than most trainer firms do.
Despite reports that the ethics don't quite match the eco creds, these Escape trainers are still a massive step on from hemp sandals, a stylish pigeon step ahead of All-Star-alikes -- and leaps and bounds smarter than your average street trainers.
Quality
Value
Ethics
Green
