Vivobarefoot partners with Oxygen Project to spread awareness of algae blooms

Vivobarefoot, a minimalist footwear brand, has teamed up with the Oxygen Project to raise awareness about the effect of farming and industry on the algae blooms that are choking the planet’s waterways.

The two organizations are urging an end to the toxic farming and manufacturing activities that are wreaking havoc on the world’s waterways, citing “mounting evidence” that harmful algae blooms are becoming more common and devastating as a result of human activity.

Other factors to the problem include the contamination of the atmosphere with fertilizers, pesticides, and other hazardous substances, and industrial waste, into rivers, in addition to the compound impact of a warming world.

Algal blooms are wreaking havoc on some of the world’s most scenic and ecologically significant bodies of water, from North American national parks to England’s Lake District, Africa’s Lake Chad, and even the world’s largest and deepest, Russia’s Lake Baikal.

Aquatic life is decimated, freshwater sources are polluted, and oxygen is restricted in the water as a result of these toxic algae blooms.

The shoe company has teamed up with the Oxygen Project to lobby UNESCO to develop a global education policy and to urge governments to end harmful agricultural and industrial activities.

Asher Clark, the Vivobarefoot co-founder, said at the heart of what they do is creating clothing that isn’t sneakers that allows people to reconnect with the natural environment. They’re thrilled to be teaming up with Oxygen to promote this campaign alongside the world’s first amphibious boots made of Algae bloom foam.

He adds they hope that this will encourage individuals and businesses to go barefoot and engage in a regenerative future with regenerative materials technologies that will sustain the climate and rivers around the globe.

Along with its call to action, Vivobarefoot launched the Ultra Bloom in 2017, the first sneakers made with Algae bloom foam. The procedure removes toxic algae blooms from rivers, thereby reversing the consequences of water contamination. According to the footwear company, each pair of Ultra Bloom designs will restore 57 gallons of clean water to wildlife while removing 40 balloons worth of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The Ultra Bloom for toddlers, kids, juniors, and adults is available on Vivobarefoot’s website in a limited edition color to commemorate the launch.