WINQS is a Fully Vegan Brand

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WINQS Brand Overview

"Honoured with the ISPO Award for excellent sports products, the WINQS Zerofly impresses with outstanding performance as well as pioneering sustainability. An ultra-light, optimally cushioned top running shoe, made with innovative materials such as algae foam, castor seeds or lyocell fibres. In addition, our Repair, Reuse & Recycle programme helps to significantly extend the life of the Zerofly." - WINQS team

About WINQS

"Discover the future of running. With innovative performance materials such as algae foam, castor seeds or lyocell fibers instead of petroleum-based plastics. Certified climate-neutral and with a holistic circular concept." - WINQS team

Is WINQS an ethically vegan brand?

WINQS is an intentionally and ethically vegan brand, rather than one that uses vegan materials out of convenience, or for other reasons. According to the brand, "Although we want to expel petroleum-based plastics from the sports industry, we don’t believe wool is the answer." The brand goes on to say, "According to PETA some of the biggest problems of the industry are mulesing (a barbaric procedure in which farmers carve huge chunks of skin and flesh from lambs’ backsides in a crude attempt to prevent a parasitic infection."

What materials are used to make WINQS vegan running shoes?

According to the brand, "We consistently replace petroleum-based plastics with better performing and more sustainable materials. Algae, castor seeds or even ocean waste and rubber residues." In keeping with this, their trademark Zerofly™ shoes are composed of the following materials:
• Inner lining made from harvested Eucalyptus yarns
• Slip-on lacing made from eucalyptus fibres
• Upper made of 100% recycled materials
• Midsole made with castor beans
• Insole made with algae fibres
• Outsole made with recycled rubber

Are WINQS running shoes eco-friendly/sustainable?

From an environmentally-friendly materials standpoint, their vegan running shoes could be considered quite eco-friendly (at least as far as performance running footwear is concerned, as there isn’t yet a 100% bio-based, compostable material in the market to satisfy a running shoe's specific characteristics), as they incorporate mostly natural and/or recycled materials into their designs. These materials, while not perfect, are generally considered to be more environmentally friendly than animal-derived leathers (due to the inclusion of various toxic chemicals used in the tanning process, among other reasons). This is backed up by data from inside the fashion industry as well as outside of it. For the data on leather, please see Collective Fashion Justice’s CIRCUMFAUNA initiative.

Does production of WINQS running shoes create a lot of harmful emissions?

According to WINQS, "Nobody's perfect. Neither are we. Actually, we also create waste, are responsible for CO2 emissions and need to improve our supply chain." Although they do produce emissions when making and transporting their shoes, WINQS is a climate-neutral brand (which includes all brand-related processes). The brand explains, "We achieve this in three steps: First, we measure our carbon footprint together with the NGO myclimate - on business as well as on product level. Then we reduce our emissions by using sustainable materials or optimizing processes and finally we offset them in a transparent and certified way."

Does WINQS use ‘green’ shipping methods?

It's unclear from their website if WINQS uses net-zero or negative emissions shipping partners to transport their vegan running shoes, either domestically or internationally. The brand is climate-neutral however, and regarding this states, "Thanks to our cooperation with the NGO myclimate, we not only significantly reduce our CO2 emissions, but also compensate them in a transparent and certified way."

Does WINQS use eco-friendly packaging?

WINQS says, "we only use biodegradable cardboard and shipping bags and take care to maximise the reduction of packaging material by design." The brand adds that their goal is to completely replace disposable packaging with reusable solutions as soon as possible.

Which stores can I buy WINQS vegan running shoes from?

At this time, WINQS running shoes can only be purchased via the WINQS website, and can be shipped to an ever-expanding list of countries.

Are WINQS vegan running shoes recyclable?

WINQS shoes are partially recyclable. You can even send your old WINQS shoes back to them to ensure they are responsibly recycled and disposed of.

What should I do with my old WINQS vegan running shoes?

WINQS has a Repair, Reuse & Recycle program, in which they ensure that their products are taken care of responsibly in an eco-friendly manner over their whole life span. According to the brand, "Once your running shoes have completed their last lap, we recommend three solutions:
1) Get them refurbished, perhaps through our partner Sneaker Rescue (that even work with original parts) and continue to wear them as sneakers in your spare time.
2) Donate them to a certified organisation like Oxfam.
3) Or send them back to us and we will take care of responsible recycling or disposal."

Do WINQS running shoes ever go on sale?

We haven’t noticed any sales for their vegan running shoes when visiting the WINQS site and perusing their social channels. However, they currently offer 15% off your first order for subscribing to their newsletter. If you send back your old WINQS runners to be recycled, they will also send you a 10% voucher towards your next pair.

Where are WINQS shoes made?

WINQS vegan running shoes are made in Asia.

Are their shoes made with fair labour?

Being that their shoes are made in Asia, it's difficult for us as an outside, non-certifying 3rd party to verify whether or not WINQS ensures its factory enforces all international and local labour laws, regulations and fair working standards to provide a safe and fair working environment for their workers. WINQS says that, "All of our direct suppliers have to pass an audit on ethical and ecological standards before production (e.g. SMETA)."

Is WINQS a charitable company?

WINQS supports the Oxfam network "Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs" with direct financial means. This initiative partners with thousands of people in countries of the global South and is an "important tool in the fight against climate change," according to the brand.

Does WINQS promote ‘slow fashion’ or a ‘circular economy’?

Not only does WINQS promote slow fashion and circular economy principles in their public-facing materials, but they operate by them. In keeping with that philosophy, the brand implements the following circular economy principles: primarily using recycled and natural materials; not offering discount-level pricing; not following seasonal trends; having shoes available by pre-order only (which saves greatly on production waste); sourcing their materials close to where their final products are produced; using very eco-friendly packaging; supporting environmental conservation efforts; having climate-neutral operations; having transparent processes; working with a shoe repair partner; and working with a shoe recycling partner.

WINQS Footwear Range

WINQS makes men's and women's running shoes in 3 colours (black, white, and teal), and sells them at an upper-mid tier price point. Their style is athletic and functional, without too much adornment.