WHY

We're YY Nation.
A bunch of Kiwis (New Zealanders that is) set out to make the most sustainable footwear on earth.

Now we’ve got a thing called Kiwi ingenuity. That means we’re pretty resourceful.
Like turning-a-bunch-of-pineapple-husks-into-a-pair-of-shoes resourceful.

And we’re always asking questions, like: why does everything have to be made from plastic?

Why can’t we turn to nature instead?

These are the questions no one wants to ask—but we’re here to answer.

Are you in?
Join the nation.

Why?
When?
What?
Where?
Who?

WHY

... do we do what we do?

 

Because there aren’t enough good solutions out there. 

Have you seen what the fast fashion industry is doing to our planet? Yeah, *cringe*.

We launched saying “these are the worst shoe’s we’ll ever make” because each time we make a new shoe we want it to be more sustainable than the last. Our shoes might be some of the most sustainable shoes you buy, but that’s not good enough for us.

 

We are on a journey to make the most sustainable shoes in the world...and then, to keep going.

JUST GETTING STARTED

Zero Carbon Certified is only the beginning

YY Nation is a Zero Carbon Certified brand by Ekos ™, meaning that any CO2 emissions our shoes release into the atmosphere is balanced by removing an equivalent amount of CO2 emissions. To do this, YY Nation commissioned an independent company thinkstep-anz to research and calculate YY Nation’s carbon footprint for the activities in making each shoe and then calculating the total emissions created through there life, and in their afterlife!   thinkstep-anz is accredited with using ISO standards in measuring the carbon footprints of products. Their work is regularly scrutinized by the likes of B-Corp, United Nations Global Compact, Climate Leaders Coalition, Science Based Targets and Ekos, meeting some of the most stringent standards. Further, YY Nation requested that Ekos, independent of Thinkstep, review and verify the analysis carried out by thinkstep-anz. YY Nation is utilizing Ekoss services, partnering with landowners to develop projects that grow and protect indigenous forests for future generations and natural wildlife to enjoy. Although we are just starting our journey to becoming the most sustainable shoe brand in the world, launching with a Zero Carbon footprint was essential. But Zero Carbon is just the beginning. We’re determined to become a climate positive company, having a net positive impact on the planet. Our goal is to put more back than we take out.

WE WEREN'T BORN YESTERDAY

We're getting "sustainability blah blah blah" fatigue,

aren't you? 

“Sustainability” is becoming a buzzword. And "Blah blah blah"? Well, Greta said it ;)

Companies are using this word to distract us from how they are harming the planet. It’s pretty yuck and we see straight through it. We are interested in genuine, impactful change. Whilst we’re still figuring out our exact relationship with the word “sustainability”, we can confidently say we put nature at the forefront of everything we do, not at the mercy of it.

We’re proud to come from Aotearoa New Zealand.
When you’re from here, nature is a huge part of your identity.
We grew up enjoying nature as our playground, which is why we’re serious about protecting it.

FUTURE-FOCUSED

We're committed to circularity

Circularity is the idea of everything we do leading back to the start. At YY Nation, we are taking responsibility for the impact of our products from creation all the way to disposal. Basically, we’re trying to prevent your shoes from going to the landfill. Currently, the majority of the wool, bamboo, and pineapple leather accents break down naturally in the environment. Our goal is to be a truly circular system. We are committed to four programs which are;

  • Removing waste: we do this through the processes such as designing shoes to minimize waste, carefully developing and picking the materials used.
  • Collecting shoes back: our shoe boxes are designed to be repurposed as shipping boxes so you don’t need to source an additional box or plastic courier bag should you need to return/exchange your shoes.
  • Upcycling good shoes: We are currently developing an option to take back pre-loved shoes, that will be restored to resell, or gifted to those in need, as we know the most sustainable shoes are the ones you don’t have to make.
  • Recycling worn shoes: when refurbishing shoes is not an option, we aim to recycle old YY Nation shoes into materials used to make other consumer products. We are currently using sole offcuts in flooring.  

But this is just the start :)