Sustainability starts with people and not with products

FAIR, SUSTAINABLE, and SOCIAL are our top priorities.

As a small family business in the niche market of barefoot shoes, we set a good example back in 2011 by offering shoes designed for natural, protected walking that are as sustainable as possible.However, as already mentioned, sustainability begins with us as individuals. Together with our partners, both at home and abroad, we strive to improve a little more every day.

Here are some examples of our efforts:

Responsible Production:

  • Our producer in India has been LWG Gold Standard certified for years
  • Sustainable tanning of leather in an in-house tannery with a modern treatment plant, where over 90% of the water is treated and reused
  • Unused water is used to irrigate the factory’s vegetable garden.
  • Boilers are heated with agro waste briquettes instead of fossil fuels
  • Long transportation routes are avoided by having suppliers located close to the production site

Sustainability and Transparency:

  • Upper materials and threads are sourced from local and German suppliers
  • Shoe accessories such as eyelets and laces come from local suppliers
  • Sole production takes place in a family-run business in India
  • Leather is either tanned in-house or sourced from audited tanneries according to LWG standards

For more information on leather, please click here

Fair Working Conditions:

  • Compliance with the social standards of the International Labour Organization
  • Ensuring global labor and social standards in accordance with the Code of Conduct
  • Certification by Bureau Veritas with Social Accountability SA 8000:2014.
  • Fair wages above the minimum wage, employee participation in company success, transportation subsidies, and a pleasant working environment.

Eco-Friendly Practices:

  • Since 2017, we have been a largely paperless operation in Dießen, achieving a reduction in paper and ink cartridge consumption of over 80%
  • Since 2019, we have been using high-quality, reusable paper strips as filler material instead of paper
  • We use folded shoe boxes, saving kilograms of glue and metal
  • Of course, we participate in the dual system for waste separation.

We are pioneers in eco-friendly and climate-neutral online commerce:


We are proud to be one of five pilot companies testing the prototype of the new IZU guidelines for eco-friendly and climate-neutral online commerce.

We are participants in the Environmental and Climate Pact of Bavaria.


What we do:

  • Web Hosting: Green web hosting to reduce the CO₂ footprint
  • Product Description: Detailed and transparent product information
  • Packaging: Eco-friendly packaging that conserves resources
  • Shipping: Climate-neutral shipping for a lower environmental impact
  • Returns Management: An efficient system to reduce returns

Our Goals:

  • Reduce Returns: Through accurate product descriptions and size guides
  • Eco-Friendly Packaging: Minimizing plastic and using recyclable materials
  • Experience with Reusable Systems: Testing and integrating reusable packaging
  • Integration of Sustainability Labels: Marking our products with recognized sustainability certifications
  • Green Web Hosting: Utilizing servers powered by renewable energy

Together for Natural Walking:


Handcrafted SOLE RUNNER® barefoot shoes enable natural and joint-friendly walking.

With every purchase, you help secure jobs both domestically and internationally.

Our employees and partners joyfully contribute to a project focused on natural, healthy walking.


Experience natural walking with peace of mind – SOLE RUNNER® barefoot shoes
fair, sustainable, and social!