At Bared, it is our goal to keep as many shoes out of landfill as possible.

Our internal "No Destruction Policy" is a commitment we have made to always seek sustainable solutions for Bared stock in our possession that is unsold, damaged, or unwearable. These shoes will always be repaired, donated, or recycled.

While we cannot control what happens to our shoes once they leave the store, we want to make it as easy as possible for our community to participate in our mission by recycling their well-loved footwear. Every Bared store is home to a drop off box, where customers can bring in their shoes to be recycled by one of our recycling partners.

Our Donation Partners

At Bared Footwear, we believe in giving back to the community and supporting those in need. We are proud to have donated over $100,000+ worth of footwear to Thread Together and Fitted For Work in 2024.

Thread Together

Founded in 2012 by Andie Halas, Thread Together aims to reduce clothing waste by donating unsold, brand-new clothes that might otherwise go unused - ensuring these items serve a valuable purpose. The organisation partners with fashion brands, charities, and volunteers to provide clothing to thousands of people across Australia every week.

Fitted For Work

Fitted For Work is committed to helping women experiencing disadvantage to achieve economic independence. They provide women with professional clothing, interview coaching, and mentoring to help them secure and maintain employment. By empowering women with the confidence and skills they need to succeed in the workforce, Fitted For Work is transforming lives and fostering gender equality in the workplace.

Minimising Excess Stock

Our planning team carefully determines minimum production quantities for each new collection to reduce excess inventory and ensure a more thoughtful approach to stock management.

Sometimes we underestimate how much you will love some styles, and they sell out quickly following launch. The Bared community will let us know that they love a sold out style by registering their interest for a restock. That's when we will put a style back into production and order a top up. This method of restocking helps us to avoid overproduction and unsold items.

For particular styles, we use a pre-order system, allowing the Bared community to pre-purchase styles. This means we are producing the styles and colours you are asking for - and each piece is created with purpose, therefore minimising the chances of unsold products.

Recycling unwearable stock with Save Our Soles

Any stock that is deemed unwearable due by our team and unfit for donation is recycled with our partner Save Our Soles. Since 2019, we’ve been recycling shoes with our partner, Save Our Soles. Together, we have recycled 28,960 shoes.

The shoes are mechanically recycled by Save Our Soles. This is done by feeding the shoes into a machine which separates the fibres and creates rubber “crumb”. This crumb is turned into rubber matting for use in gyms, offices, stores, and playgrounds.

We love the important work of Save Our Soles, but we also know that it’s not a solution the industry can rely on forever - there are only so many rubber mats needed in the world! That’s why we’re working hard to seek out the world’s best material innovators to help us pave a way for a better future for footwear.