THIS NEW FOOTWEAR BRAND WANTS YOU TO ‘LOVE THE PLANET YOU WALK ON’
A new purpose-driven, sustainably-focused footwear brand has launched today.
Meet Ponto, a new brand founded by middle school friends and former Silicon Valley alums Aaron Roubitchek and Joey Marquis. It aims to take a holistic approach to sustainability by doing more than simply offering a quality product using eco-friendly materials – all while hoping to penetrate the $214.9 billion footwear market.
Ponto (named after Roubitchek and Marquis’s favorite childhood beach) is committed to reducing waste and supporting a circular economy through its independent support of The Ocean Cleanup Project, donating the greater of 1 percent of sales or 10 perfect of profits to the organization. Further, its buyback program in partnership with Soles4Souls serves to empower aspiring entrepreneurs in developing nations.
Ponto’s first silhouette, The Pacific, is a first-of-its-kind, gender-neutral hybrid dress sneaker designed to be worn for any (and every) occasion, with the goal of encouraging its customers to buy less and own fewer shoes.
Made from nearly 100 percent recycled materials, The Pacific features recycled, water-resistant leather, which has 33 percent less CO2 emissions than traditional leather. It also boasts the world’s first algae-based foam technology – returning 48 liters of clean water to our habitat and for each pair sold, helps clean 14.19 liters of air. The Pacific also features a Tencel fiber liner made of eucalyptus, oak, and birchwood, which are antibacterial and biodegradable, and it comes in 100 percent recycled packaging.
And, for Giving Tuesday (December 1st), Ponto will be activating its ‘Walk the Walk’ campaign. Through this initiative, for every like or share the brand receives today, Ponto will plant a tree in Southern California as a response to this year’s record-breaking wildfires in partnership with One Tree Planted.