The Fluevoger crew is so tight-knit, they even dip into one another’s closets from time to time. The company’s Fluemarket is a highly trafficked online marketplace where previously loved products from the brand can be uploaded and resold. Fluevog doesn’t make money from these transactions, which are instead part of its larger efforts to be more environmentally friendly. According to the “ About the materials and production ” section of the company website, Fluevog produces its shoes in factories across the globe that comply with western labor standards. They also use recycled soles, less leather (Fluevog began working with vegan leather back in the 1990s), and no heavy metals in the tanning process. The goal? Longer-lasting shoes that are kinder to our planet. “I believe every person and company has a moral obligation to try and have less impact on our environment. It’s not just a nice thing to do, we have to do it,” the designer says.If there’s one trend wave Fluevog has been riding long before it was cool, it’s the sustainability one — another part of its brand DNA that’ll attract a new breed of fans. As consumers become increasingly aware of their role within a larger ecosystem that needs both improving and protecting, they’ll rely on brands like Fluevog to help them make better choices. “The main trend for the near future is that of being credible, authentic, and being capable of explaining what it is that you’re doing and being truthful. I think people really are looking for something real,” says Orsola de Castro, co-founder of the global not-for-profit Fashion Revolution , which campaigns for systemic reform in the industry. “At the end of the day, it’s about buying something you know you’re going to keep.”Like most brands trying to adopt greener practices, Fluevog isn’t perfect, which is something its founder recognizes. “The very idea of us shipping product around the world puts us in negative territory. Saying we are environmentally ok would be wrong,” he says. But this awareness and transparency represents a step in the right direction towards truly conscious transactions, and it’s one that’ll land Fluevog right on the hearts and heels of 2020’s coolest consumers.