It's about time we became sustainably woke.

Billions and I mean billions of trainers end up in landfills each year - most of them are made unethically and from virgin plastic, contributing massively to our carbon footprint and that's just the shoe industry alone. We also have a problem with the clothing industry - an over purchasing of fast fashion which employs cheap labour and even cheaper materials made from plastic and unrecycled fabrics. As we're globally producing over 100 billion new garments each year from new fibres, our planet is suffering, our water, in particular, is suffering. If you're buying a pair of trainers for €10, you need to think of how these could have been made for this price? Where did they source the materials? How much was the person making them paid? And if they're so cheap, in turn, more pairs will be purchased leading to more waste and a higher turnover of the shoes which will soon tatter and fall apart. Now, I'm not saying you need to become an eco angel. I certainly am not one but, it's just about being more aware and more conscious that your purchases have a serious impact - if you're planning to buy new trainers, shop around, choose ones that not only look great but support the ground you walk on too.

Veja

The first sustainable shoe brand is one you've probably heard of. Veja became catapulted to the spotlight last year when Meghan Markle donned a pair of the V-10's while traveling Australia with Prince Harry. These runners are made from recycled materials and the brand works hard to make sure that from the factory line to the finished product, every step of creating this product is done ethically and fairly. They're leading the charge on changing fashion for good. V10 trainers - €125 

Everlane

A brand that hopes to remove all virgin plastic from its supply chain by 2021, Everlane is making serious changes in the way they produce clothing and shoes. An example of this is their new line Thread by Everlane. Thread by Everlane wants to create the world's lowest impact trainers, using mainly recycled products and taking two years to create, these runners get the thumbs up from us. Plus, they're unisex and gorge for swapping and sharing. The Trainer - €88 

All Birds

These trainers are all about better things made in better ways. A perfect runner for working out - from yoga to cycling, All Birds shoes are made in New Zealand using the use of natural materials. Even the packaging of these shoes is sustainable with the brand only using recycled cardboard. Currently, All Birds doesn't ship to Ireland however, they're constantly expanding and you can sign up for Irish shipping alerts. Fingers crossed it's soon. Wool Runners - €86 

Good News

A brand like its name. Since launching earlier this year, Good News has been spotted on the feet of all the UK fash pack - with their noticeable flatform style and skater look, we adore these shoes. Made from recycled rubber soles, organic cotton uppers, and straw, as well as recycled eco-lite footbeds, these shoes were created for durability and made sustainably. We can see ourselves teaming these with a dress all summer long.

Softball 2 Weave Low - €145 

Toms

Holiday ready trainers and pumps. Toms is another brand we're all familar with. They use hemp, organic cotton and recycled polyester to create their shoes plus, all the packaging is 80 percent recycled goods. There sliders and trainers are perfect for everything from work to travelling plus they're so light.

Black Heritage Canvas Women's Deconstructed Alpargatas - €45 

Her is constantly making an effort to cover more conscious bits. Over the past couple of months, we've been learning how to re-use more than we buy, examining the sheer amount of waste the planet produces, and considering the many, many benefits of sustainable fashion choices. Change is daunting and we're not perfect, but we can always try to do our bit. Our conscious bit. You can follow the rest of the Conscious Bits series here