Friday, May 15th, 2009...12:31 am
Payless’ Zoe & Zac: Missed Opportunity
Here’s a shoe I wanted to be excited about: zoe & zac, the green line Payless Shoes released last month. But no, these shoes weren’t designed for me. My first impression was that they were designed for mainstream appeal, and I could get behind that, but wait — even collectively, we have better taste than this, right?
Commerce with a Conscience wrote a smart and hilarious review of Simple’s similarly poorly designed “green shoes,” which can be directly applied to this line. I’ll cut straight to the serious part, where he wrote,
“One of the greatest obstacles facing the widespread acceptance of socially responsible spending is convincing others that buying according to their ethics doesn’t automatically mean dressing terribly. I ask you, please, help us overcome this hurdle. Use your principles for good.”
Amen.
Each pair of shoes in the zoe & zac line are under $30. If you must, at least go for the wedge!
14 Comments
May 15th, 2009 at 8:52 am
I’d like the flats if they were basic black, I think. It’s a step in the right direction at least; there aren’t a lot of eco-friendly cute shoes.
May 15th, 2009 at 11:44 am
Agreed. The ballet flats are decent, but they’d be so much more versatile without the flower print…
Like Target, Payless has been doing some pretty good designer collaborations recently, so I had high hopes for these designs. Wouldn’t it be amazing if, of all places, PAYLESS were the store to introduce affordable, socially responsible AND fashionable shoes?
Hopefully next time!
May 19th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
i could not agree with you more!!! i am not impressed…and your post inspired me to find some eco-friendly shoes online for around $50 (they’re there!) that (i think) you would actually wear…i would, and do wear some of them. http://www.greengrechen.com/2009/05/19/must-read/ecofriendly-shoes-50-ugly/
May 19th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Grechen, you’re awesome! Thank you!! I love your list!!!
And I must admit… I’ve been putting together my own! Will post it soon. But I wasn’t focusing on price, so I’m glad you did. Once people know where to look for eco-friendly shoes, price is one of the biggest deciding factors. You’re so smart. :)
May 19th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
oh, i can’t wait to see your list! it wasn’t easy to focus only on eco-friendly shoes around $50, but with a little searching, it can totally be done…
May 19th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Those flats by Marais are very cute; as for the Zoe and Zac, while I’m not loving the entire line, I thought the sandals were really cute. Why is it so hard for companies to make eco shoes that look good and don’t cost a fortune?
Lori’s last blog post..Buy Planet Shares and offset your climate footprint
This comment was originally posted on Green Grechen Eco-Friendly Fashion and Shopping Online
May 19th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
good question lori! i honestly don’t understand why taste/style has to go out the window when most companies try to make affordable eco-friendly styles. and yeah, the zoe & zac wedges were moderately cute LOL
This comment was originally posted on Green Grechen Eco-Friendly Fashion and Shopping Online
May 19th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Awesome list. I wasn’t familiar with Marais, Ethletic or Vegan Chic, so thanks for the tips!
Janette’s last blog post..Payless’ Zoe & Zac: Missed Opportunity
This comment was originally posted on Green Grechen Eco-Friendly Fashion and Shopping Online
May 19th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
I appreciate this list Grechen. I think Payless could have done waaay better with the styles in the Zac&Zoe line as well.
Most of the shoes you have above are pretty cute, but I can’t get into the purple “jellies” and I don’t know why (well, yes I do) I can’t get on board with thinking Tom’s are cute (gasp! :o). It’s totally subjective of course, and only my opinion, but to me they look like something they give you when you stay in the hospital or what grandpa might wear as houseslippers. They don’t look like they would flatter a foot or be supportive…with that flat sole it seems like I’d be hurtin’ in less than an hour. I really and truly love their mission though, and I might buy them just for the great cause, but I’d ask them to ship both pairs over to children in need
fig+sage’s last blog post..Summer Travel Essential :: Dr. Alkaitis Skin Food Travel Kit {+ Discount Code}
This comment was originally posted on Green Grechen Eco-Friendly Fashion and Shopping Online
May 19th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
LOL about the TOMS shoes – i said the same thing – that they look like my grandfather’s slippers – when i first saw them. yeah, maybe they shouldn’t be in a “cute” shoes post, but honestly, they are really growing on me. i can walk forever in mine, and i really think they can look cute with the right outfit (haven’t found that yet though…). i also felt the same way you do about melissa shoes before i tried them! although i haven’t tried the “shoes” only the sandals, there’s probably a difference.
This comment was originally posted on Green Grechen Eco-Friendly Fashion and Shopping Online
May 19th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Simple Shoes are a great eco-friendly company based in Santa Barbara. I live in CA, so I have the added eco-friendly benefit of it being local (only an hour and a half away). The pair I have are slip-on style and are vegan. They use recycled rubber for the outside soles and organic cotton for the uppers. Mine are super comfy and I wear them all the time on the weekends with a pair of jeans! If you time it right you can get a pair on sale for $15! Perfect!
This comment was originally posted on Green Grechen Eco-Friendly Fashion and Shopping Online
May 20th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
[...] response to my blog-friend Janette’s recent post: Payless’ Zoe & Zac: Missed Opportunity and a comment left by a reader that “there aren’t a lot of eco-friendly cute [...]
May 20th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
These shoes look so comfortable! Perfect for a college student, and my blog (on SUGAR!) beautyandthebudget.onsugar.com!
June 1st, 2009 at 11:35 pm
[...] weeks ago, I started a conversation about shoes that are both socially responsible and stylish. Amber commented, “there aren’t [...]
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