When my lovely lady Elizabeth and I took a road trip to Asheville, NC for our anniversary I knew we had to visit a company called Astral. The core of their business has been PFDs (Personal Floatation Devices, or life jackets), but in recent years they’ve expanded into footwear. Their most unique products are basically water shoes that look like...well, shoes. Most paddlers are used to the standard issue footwear being something like a pair of Keens, Chacos or Tevas, and though they are great, Astral throws them for a loop by making essentially a shoe that drains and is meant to get soaked. We've done quite a bit of paddling this summer, and our Astrals have been perfect for walking on rocky bottoms, dragging the canoe to the put in, and walking around town after.
What’s the most surprising aspect of their sustainability? Well, first of all they’re vegan. Yes, there is such a thing as a vegan shoe. Basically, almost every shoe out there connects the upper to the sole using glue, and if you’re unaware, glue is made with animal products. So Astral has begun stitching their shoes together, harming no animals in the process.
Their PFDs also use a cool new filler that’s starting to really gain some traction, Kapok foam. The Kapok tree produces these crazy little pods that are filled with seeds and soft fibers, which can be turned into everything from fabric to foam. Since they are harvested after they naturally fall off trees there’s no harm done to the environment, and no toxic chemicals involved.
They also use hemp as a material for some of their uppers, a plant that grows fast and dense, is resistant to many herbicides and pesticides, and is great for soil health.
Astral definitely likes to re-use leftover materials, since their LE9 jacket is made from scrap fabric, and their dog beds are made from extra pieces of foam. And aside from composting, recycling and managing water usage in their operations, they promote a love of the outdoors and the environment with #NatureFirst.
What’s the most surprising aspect of their sustainability? Well, first of all they’re vegan. Yes, there is such a thing as a vegan shoe. Basically, almost every shoe out there connects the upper to the sole using glue, and if you’re unaware, glue is made with animal products. So Astral has begun stitching their shoes together, harming no animals in the process.
Their PFDs also use a cool new filler that’s starting to really gain some traction, Kapok foam. The Kapok tree produces these crazy little pods that are filled with seeds and soft fibers, which can be turned into everything from fabric to foam. Since they are harvested after they naturally fall off trees there’s no harm done to the environment, and no toxic chemicals involved.
They also use hemp as a material for some of their uppers, a plant that grows fast and dense, is resistant to many herbicides and pesticides, and is great for soil health.
Astral definitely likes to re-use leftover materials, since their LE9 jacket is made from scrap fabric, and their dog beds are made from extra pieces of foam. And aside from composting, recycling and managing water usage in their operations, they promote a love of the outdoors and the environment with #NatureFirst.
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