The Munjoi sustainable All-Dai convertible shoe is helping humanity take four big steps in one.
What if one shoe worked for nearly every occasion? That’s the premise behind the sustainable All-Dai Shoe from Munjoi. The versatile shoe, which can be worn four different ways, was just recognized by Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards.
Through its innovative tech, Munjoi’s All-Dai shoe can be worn as a sneaker, sandal, mule, or open-toe sneaker.
The shoes are made from sustainable animal-free materials including a proprietary foam from the company Bloom, which removes algae waste from polluted waterways for the base of its foam. That’s combined with sugarcane to create a cushiony foam alternative to traditional petroleum-based EVA. This, the company says, allows for clean water, reduced CO2 emissions and a reduced impact on the environment.
A clean step
Munjoi has calculated the greenhouse gas emissions for its All-Dai at 5.87 kg of CO2. The company says it offset emissions for each shoe, rendering them climate neutral. It does not specify if that includes Scope 3 emissions.
“Our closets and travel bags are full of too many shoes,” Patrick Hogan, CEO and founder of Munjoi, Inc, said in a statement. Prior to launching Munjoi in 2020, Hogan created global, performance sneakers for leading brands including New Balance amd Saucony.
“It took me more than two years to develop a comfortable, stylish, sustainable shoe that gave people multiple footwear options at the ready,” Hogan says. “Focusing on thoughtful design and materials, my goal was to give consumers a more versatile, eco-friendly shoe they’d really want to wear.”
Hogan says that each type of single function footwear produces its own carbon footprint, “while depleting natural resources, releasing toxins, and creating waste.”
He says it’s not solvable by just making footwear with better material choice—fewer shoes is the best solution. According to recent data, approximately 20.5 billion pairs of shoes were produced in 2020.
“This is why we invented the All-Dai shoe: A singular pair of shoes that has the ability to transform and serve the purpose of 3 or 4 different types of footwear. This means more benefits for the consumer and less impact on our environment,” Hogan says.
The Munjoi innovation is more than just novelty, says Fast Company—it’s a viable solution in the fight to reduce emissions, preserve resources, and produce less.
“Fast Company relishes its role in amplifying important, innovative work to address big challenges,” says David Lidsky, interim editor-in-chief of Fast Company.
“Our journalists have identified some of the most ingenious initiatives to launch since the start of 2021, which we hope will both have a meaningful impact and lead others to join in being part of the solution.”
Better footwear
Hogan says he was driven to launch the project after having a revelation about his contributions to the climate crisis as a designer.
“I could walk outside on any given day and count the number of shoes that I’ve designed on the feet of people walking by. I realized that I was playing a pretty big role in the process and I should be using my talents to do a better job at helping combat pollution,” he said last year.
“Munjoi’s mission is simple: save the environment by creating less waste, save money by purchasing less, and save space by living with and packing less,” Hogan said. “My inspiration was sustainability, innovation and ultimate versatility. Create simple designs that are minimal and timeless.”
The Fast Company-recognized brand joins a sea of sustainable footwear offerings. Most recently, Blueview announced it had created a fully biodegradable sneaker. Orba, out of New Zealand, also makes biodegradable sneakers as does the Brooklyn-based shoe company Kengos, which recently debuted biodegradable kicks made from cork bark and corn fiber.
Luxury brands are also keen to step into the market; Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, and Valentino all have sustainable sneaker options made with bio-based materials.