Why we love Veja

If there's ever a brand with a lot to talk about here at GAG it'd be VEJA. Since 2005, VEJA has been making sneakers differently, infusing each stage of production with a positive impact.

Conceptualised by Sébastien Kopp and François-Ghislain Morillion in 2003, Veja has always been driven by ethical, transparent processes and production. 

Realising that most big sneaker brands spend up large on advertising, the pair decided to reallocate what would-be advertising resources to areas such as raw materials, production and the people involved in the process. The outcome? Veja have created high quality, affordable sneakers that have a positive impact on both the environment and society at each stage of production.

In 2005 Veja took it upon themselves to start from the ground up, taking things right back to scratch to do things differently. Sneakers are infamously made unethically, so Veja had to take it upon themselves to discover how to create a high quality sneaker for the new generation. The brand ‘makes what they want the world to become’ - honest, ethical, and durable.

Veja takes a slow approach to its processes, taking time to look over each and every design, with the end goal being that each pair would still be wearable in ten years' time.

Each material used in production is ethically sourced, with fair trade being at the heart of all that Veja does. The brand works directly with its producers to have a positive influence. Veja also makes vegan sneakers, with 1 in 4 styles being vegan-friendly.

Veja produce quality items ethically and sustainably while utilising what raw materials they can from Brazil, Peru, Germany, and Italy. Rubber for the soles is sourced from the only place the trees grow wild, the Amazon, with Veja ensuring that the rubber tappers are fairly paid whilst increasing the economic value of the forest itself, thus helping fight deforestation.

Organic cotton used for the laces is grown by cooperatives of farmers in Taua, Brazil and Chincha, Peru. The farmers use agro-ecological methods to grow their crops and are in turn fairly paid.

The B-Mesh used for a number of Veja styles is 100% made out of recycled plastic bottles in São Paulo, Brazil, where Veja also source their recycled polyester for their jersey lining. It takes 3 plastic bottles to produce one pair of Veja sneakers. Where Veja do use leather, they ensure that it does not come from an area of deforestation, and that is uses low level chemical tanning, respecting the REACH norms.

These elements all come together in South Brazil, and are constructed into high quality sneakers by workers in Porto Alegre, where 80% of the workers are unionised and ILO rules are followed.

The finished sneakers then make their way to France by boat, where logistics are managed by Ateliers Sans Frontières - a reintegration association that fights against exclusion through work.

For Veja, it all comes back to transparency. In a market where being fully sustainable is always a challenge Veja make sure their supply chain, and production is always transparent for the consumer. How are sneakers made?

VEJA is Brazilian for "look", looking beyond the sneakers, looking at how they're made — an integral part of the brands ethos. How are VEJA's made? How much are labourers paid? How much does an organic cotton producer earn? What are the chemicals used in a pair of VEJA?

Since 2004, VEJA have set the price of their organic and agro ecological cotton in advance, in agreement with producer associations from Brazil and Peru. Since the price is completely de-correlated from the market and its fluctuations, the contracts ensure the producers a greater financial security. This security is all the stronger since they know how much they are going to earn from the cotton before they even plant it.

On average, Veja purchased their cotton for twice as much as market price in 2017. VEJA sneakers cost 5 times more to produce than big brand sneakers because they use fair trade and organic raw materials, they are more economically equitable for all parties involved in the production chain, and because they invest in research and new technologies. The whole stock of the Parisian flasgship store and e-shop is handled by ASF employees. Atelier Sans Frontières promotes the professional integration of people who are excluded from the labour market, by offering them a suitable paid job, personalized social support, and helping them develop a career plan. They are responsible for receiving the sneakers shipped from Brazil, organizing their warehousing, preparing orders and shipping them.

Ever Since VEJA was created, their sneakers have always been made in the same place: the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. Over time, a real partnership has developed between the brand and the assembly plant. In the clothing and fashion industries, the factory is often where all global economic dysfunction is focused: unsafe, even unsanitary working conditions, highly eroded wages and little concern for the environment.

VEJA manufactures its sneakers a few hours away from Porto Alegre, Brazil, in factories and workshops where ILO rules are followed. To guarantee work that meets VEJA's requirements, additional criteria need to be met, such as:

• Proximity and quality of housing
• The freedom to form groups to defend their rights
• Standard of living and purchasing power parity
• Employee benefits and freedom of expression

Having worked with the same factory since 2005, 40% of employees live close to the factory, while 60% live in neighbouring towns and cities, no more than 47 km away. The factory also provides a communal bus service.

• All workers have adequate housing (electricity, water, etc.) which isn't owned by the factory.

• 80% of them are unionized.

• Factory employees have 4 weeks of paid vacation per year, work 40 hours per week, schedules are regulated (7.30 am - 4.30 pm), and Saturdays and Sundays are days off.

• Overtime is paid and on average, a labourer won't work more than 2 hours of overtime in one day, usually during high season. Moreover, they get a bonus at the end of the year.

• Each employee contributes between 7 and 11% of their salary to the INSS (government retirement plan). In case the employee is laid off or quits, the contribution amount belongs to the employee.

There is so much we love about Veja, and we want you to love Veja too. Check them out online or come and see us in-store!

Shop VEJA here.