Saye is a sneaker brand born 2018 in Barcelona, Spain. When Saye started, there was only one goal in mind: to make timeless sneakers and use them as a vehicle for a change; a change in people and on planet. From the inside out and from the roots up, a new set of social values started with Saye, all the way through social and planting projects.
The Saye Sneakers are produced in Portugal, using recycled and organic materials, two trees are planted for each sale. So far, this way were planted more than 46.500 trees in India, Zambia, Amazon & Australia, helping to empower forest-dependent communities to improve their livelihoods.
From the beginning Saye only wanted to partner with suppliers that respect their workers, improving their life conditions and providing them a good working environment; a factory where employment is freely chosen and where child labor is not used in any case.
Located in the North of Portugal, Felgueiras is the heart of the country’s footwear industry. Saye’s partner, You Shoes, is made up of artisans that really love the work they do and it can be confirmed that one year and 18.000 sneakers after, they still maintain a high standard of ethics: fair wages and shifts, gender equality and most importantly, they treat their workers as family.
Saye also works with suppliers from Alicante, Spain. The concentration of the manufacturing suppliers within the same geographical area allows to create an efficient and fast collaborating network, which ensures the use of local materials and reduces the carbon footprint.
Saye fights against deforestation since 2018 – allowing anyone to take part in the project. Every time a pair of shoes is buyed, two trees are planted in collaboration with the NGO We Forest, not only to plant trees in the most needed areas of the planet, but also to empower forest-dependent local communities.
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We cooperate! This article was written in cooperation with the international platform for ethical fashion www.styleandthegang.com. Whether from Tokyo, Kilifi, Barcelona or Bali – on their website the editors Tays Jennifer Köper-Kelemen and Nina Elyas present unusual, socially committed and ethical fashion brands with cross-cultural concepts from all over the world. Curated designers tell their stories of craftsmanship, and what it means to create fashion with added value.
