Let’s face it; a good slipper simply makes or breaks your relaxing morning! Especially as many of us work from home more often, having a comfy slipper to use around the house and on chilly mornings is vital. Why is it then that most slippers are made from low-quality plastic that disintegrates after just minimal use?
Thankfully there are plastic free, zero waste slippers made from natural materials that will keep your feet warm year after year without adding a demand on fossil fuels.
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Kyrgies are the best eco-friendly slipper
As more people seek out zero waste products, the options available to customers increase. Many times competing brands may offer a quality product that is just as good as the other. When it comes to slippers though, Kyrgies simply stands out in sustainability, affordability, and comfortability.
How does Kyrgies make plastic free slippers?
Wool Slippers
Kyrgies slippers are made from wool. The process begins in Kyrgystan where the sheep are raised using traditional flock grazing methods (and no fences!). The wool is safely sheered off the sheep each summer and bailed for processing.
The wool is then cleaned and dyed using low-impact dyes. Using a felting machine, the wool is felted with hundred of tiny needles and water is added to "wet felt" the wool even further.
Now that the wool is a thick, sturdy sheet, it is molded by hand around wooden molds to match the shape of the desired size and style of slipper. Any access fuzzy-ness is shaved off using a razor blade once they're completely dry. The Kyrgies logo is hand-stamped on the bottom.
The entire process takes six weeks to complete and is primarily done by hand. You can rest assured that the only materials are wool, water, dyes, and soap. You can even see pictures of the sheep fields and facility where the process is completed on their website!
No Wool Wasted
Any wool scraps that are left over at the end of the process are collected and bagged and sent to be used as insulation in local, residential communities.
Vegetable-tanned Leather Soles
Depending on the style of Kyrgies slippers, you'll find a sole at the bottom that is made of natural leather. Rather than tanning the leather with toxic chromium as is often the standard in the industry, Kyrgies uses a vegetable-tanning technique. There are no metals or compound used in the process that could harm you or leach into the environment.
Looking for vegan slippers? Check out our complete list of sustainable slippers including vegan ones!
Packaging & Shipping
Kyrgies come shipped in a recyclable plastic mailer made by EcoEnclose (unfortunately not a cardboard one!). The mailer can either be reused or recycled with soft plastic recycling (remember that most curbside recycling programs DON’T accept soft plastic so this will need to be taken to a special facility or store drop-off location).
Climate Neutral
Kyrgies is also committed to reducing its carbon footprint. As of 2020, Kyrgies is Certified Climate Neutral which means each year they calculate their entire carbon footprint and offset it by purchasing carbon offsets. This includes all carbon emissions from raising, processing, and shipping their slippers.
As a bonus, Etsy (which sells Kyrgies' slippers) also automatically offsets the carbon emissions from any purchase made through their website.
Additionally, Kyrgies is a proud 1% for the Planet partner and in 2018 donated they equivalent of 1800 trees to One Tree Planted.
Kyrgies sustainable slippers are comfortable!
My husband, Noah, was the first one in the family to get Kyrgies last year. He owns the Classic Wool Slipper style in blue. He’s worn them almost daily for the last 365 days and you wouldn’t even know! He loves them so much that he wants another pair for those times when he can’t find them (and they’ve slipped under the couch).
I invested in my own pair this year in the Tengries style and my mother rocks the Woven slipper socks. You know something is comfortable when the whole family is using and raving about them! I even packed my Kyrgies slippers in my carry on for a recent trip because they’re THAT nice.
Arch support in slippers!
Kyrgies also makes slippers that are way more supportive than traditional slippers. If you like the feel of a "house shoe" rather than a sock, you'll love their Molded Sole style. It's built with a firmer sole and the leather is specifically molded to provide orthopedic support in the heel. You can also purchase 100% wool insoles for any of the styles to add extra cushioning!
Slippers for Inside or Outside
Because wool doesn't do well when mixed with water (it'll continue to felt!), most of the Kyrgies slippers can only be worn inside. However, they've recently launched a Walkabouts that are suitable for outside trips as well! Need to get the mail? Step outside for a little sunshine?
These slippers are safe for inside and outside trips as well! Noah asked for this pair as a gift this year.
How affordable are sustainably-made slippers?
A pair of Kyrgies will run you about between $69-89. That’s definitely more than the $15-20 pair you may be used to buying off the shelf at Walmart, but don’t write them off yet! A pair of high-quality slippers will likely last you many, many years and potentially save you money in the long run.
Also, remember that investing in sustainable products means paying the true cost of the materials and labor. You can rest assured that Kyrgies hasn’t used unethical labor or cheap fossil fuels to cut the cost for customers.
When you compare Kyrgies to other zero waste, plastic free slippers, Kyrgies sits right around in the middle of the price range based on our Complete List of Sustainable Slippers.