Vaer (Danish sneakers from upcycled materials)

Vaer is a unique brand of Danish sneakers, which makes footwear from upcycled materials including discarded workwear, jeans and tablecloths! The mission is to reduce textile waste to give ‘imperfect’ materials a secondlife.

As most good brands of sustainable vegan sneakers are sold online, get your feet measured in a shop, to save the hassle of returns (Europeans don’t offer half-sizes, so choose the larger size and wear thicker socks!)

Vegan sneakers are easy to wipe clean with a damp cloth (laundering is not recommended, but if you do, use a microfiber filter) to stop microplastics leaching from the machine).

Once the sneakers have reached the end of their life, they can be sent back to recycle into new soles. Sneakers are made ethically in Portugal using eco materials, built to last for many years of use.

This shoe brand has a retail shop in Aarhus (Denmark’s second city). Known as ‘the city of smiles’ due to its friendly atmosphere, it’s the oldest city in Scandinavia but with a young student population.

It’s also home to the world’s largest public library (with a giant bell connected to the local hospital – which rings every time a baby is born!)