Fair Trade and Mix and Match: DIY Shoes by Rodrigo Alsonso

by Sarah Parker · 2010-03-11 15:27:00 UTC
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Lots of fun things come in envelopes -- bills, jury duty summons, gazillions of credit card applications. Wait. Those aren’t fun. But shoes are! Yes, real, honest to goodness shoes can be mailed to your door in a flat envelope. They’re fair trade, mix and match, and you assemble them yourself with a few quick zips.

Rodrigo Alonso, well-known Chilean designer and green pioneer, is bringing you ARMO, a new line of fair trade shoes that can be customized, disassembled, and flattened. The shoes were designed as part of the Inclusivo project, which is based on fair trade as a key to eradicating extreme poverty.

The project is a partnership with Un Techo Para Chile, a non-profit group that helps Chileans rise from poverty. Microfactories were built in impoverished villages where seasoned fashion experts help workers to create the footwear. The goal is to provide work for those in need while keeping overhead costs low, like shipping. The ARMO line takes up roughly one-third the shipping cost and weight of traditional shoes, saving not only money, but fuel as well.

ARMO shoes come in a variety of colors and patterns, all interchangeable and all very stylish. There are slip-ons, sandals, and strap-ons for men and women. And because of the shoes’ compact design, they can be disassembled, flattened and carried in purses, back-packs, and carry-ons, leaving more room for your other essentials.

So let’s review. ARMO shoes help impoverished communities, are fair trade, mix and match, stylish, mailed to you in an envelope, eco-friendly, super compact, AND save space in your suitcase, helping you avoid the mind-numbing airport bag check process. Plus, after the earthquake at the end of February, Chile needs our support now more than ever. Someone slide these under my door ASAP!

Photo credit: Nieve44/La Luz

Sarah Parker is a film industry pro, photographer, and avid abolitionist in L.A.’s faith community and abroad.
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