FOOTWEAR CARBON REPORT 2025
The 2025 Footwear Carbon Report is the first comprehensive, footwear-specific emissions analysis. Until now, companies and researchers relied on outdated studies or apparel-focused estimates that didn’t accurately reflect footwear. FIF’s report delivers fresh clarity by using current, on-the-ground data from shoe manufacturing, giving the industry its first true picture of the modern shoe carbon footprint. The study’s findings reveal that shoe production’s environmental impact is significantly lower than previously thought, and it pinpoints where future improvements can make the biggest difference.
The report is a critical read for journalists, academics, retailers and policymakers to truly understand footwear as its own unique product, industry progress made and new focus areas, to ensure accuracy in shoe sustainability public reporting, standards and policy.
"For years, footwear was lumped in with apparel in carbon calculations, masking the real progress we’ve made as well as detailed areas we needed to focus on more. Our industry needed its own data – shoes are more like a car than a T-shirt when it comes to manufacturing complexity and emissions. This first-of-its-kind report challenges long-held assumptions, poor reporting and research, and gives us a clear, updated baseline to build on. Now we know exactly where to focus – from material choices to supply chains – to drive the next wave of sustainability innovation."
— Andy Polk
Executive Director, Footwear Innovation Foundation
Lead author of the 2025 Footwear Carbon Report
