Purely on the outside, this sneaker looks quite classic. But appearances are deceiving, because it is thoroughly exceptional. For example, the upper material is made of a leather alternative, or more precisely, a cotton fabric coated with polyurethane, corn starch and castor oil. The removable insole is made of sugar cane, polyurethane, cotton, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and rubber. It can be replaced with your own insoles if needed. The outsole, made of polyurethane, natural rubber and rubber, transitions directly into a circumferential high rubber rim that protects the shoe during wear. The interior of the shoe is softly padded, making the sneaker comfortable to wear. The forefoot cap is perforated, which provides good ventilation. And thanks to the lacing running through seven pairs of holes, the shoe can also be adjusted well to the individual foot shape.

The name says it all: Veja, the name of the French shoe label, founded in 2005, translates to a short form of “Look at this!” in Portuguese. This is exactly what founders Sébastien Kopp and François-Ghislain Morillion do. They look for high-quality raw materials and sustainable processes in their production: Veja has its leathers tanned with vegetable pigments that avoid water pollution; the cotton used comes from organic farming. Veja’s partners in Brazil use traditional and sustainable ways of extracting natural rubber to protect the Amazon rainforest. In return, Veja pays prices that lie significantly higher than the standard world market prices. Besides, Veja complies with fair working conditions. To prove all this, Kopp and Morillion make the entire production chain transparent. All in all, Veja is a true pioneer in the highly competitive sneaker market.