keep it simple, stupid

After I slipped on my first pair of Simple Shoes, I realized just how complicated my footwear had been until now.  Simple Shoes, put simply, are 100% sustainable.  That means that all of the company's sneakers and sandals are made from natural fibers like hemp or cotton and recycled materials.  By repurposing old inner tubes to create rubber soles, Simple Shoes is fulfilling the definition of sustainability at its heart by making something from the streets, for the streets. It's a beautiful Zen thought.

According to Dominique Camacho, the owner and founder of Sustainable NYC, her eco-chic boutique boasts the "biggest selection" of Simple Shoes in New York.  The women's shoes are priced between $55 and $70, and come in a variety of colors and styles.

There is more to Sustainable NYC than its Simple Shoes collection.  At the same time that Camacho was transitioning her retail business from T-shirts to environmentally friendly products in March 2008, she was in the midst of a "green renovation" of her home, a former synagogue on East Seventh Street.  [The history of the synagogue and the stages of renovation are the subject of a New York Times article, which you can read here.]  She was so deeply involved in the process that she became LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) accredited, a professional environmental accreditation awarded by the Green Building Certification Institute.  All of the sustainable building methods she learned during her home renovation, she applied to the renovation of her store.  If you ask her exactly what is so sustainable about Sustainable NYC, be prepared for a laundry list that includes the entire space from floor to ceiling: local biodegradable wallpaper, reclaimed lumber from 300-year-old New York City buildings, found furniture, and eco-friendly paint to name a few.

And if you're the kind of girl who mentally equates all forms of eco-friendly footwear with fashion-unfriendly Birkenstocks (like myself), fear not.  Wearing heels, and even flats, day-in and day-out on the city streets will come back to haunt you one day.  Once I acquired my Simple sneaks, I realized that I no longer had to resign to the life of orthopedic footwear I envisioned for myself later on.  They're comfy, cute, and cotton; you feet (and, like, the planet) will thank you.

Sustainable NYC is located at 139 Avenue A (between 9th and 10th streets) in Manhattan's East Village; (212) 254-5400.