The sustainable enjoyment of the amazing material benefits the world has to offer us is a question I often address on this blog.  I believe that the benefits of the world are meant to be enjoyed as part of a life focused on personal development and of contributing to the betterment of the world.

Over the years, some people have challenged the fact that I love fashion and owning pretty things while at the same time “portraying myself” as a do-gooder.  But I think it is important to realise that it is not a dichotomy to enjoy the material benefits available to us while living a life of service.  I also think that it’s important to acknowledge that we are all attracted to beauty in all of its shapes and forms; choosing to surround yourself with items that you not only need but find beautiful is another way of appreciating what the world has to offer.

I do believe however that the things we surround ourselves with are not an end but a means.  In other word, that that we shouldn’t just get stuff for the sake of getting stuff.  Rather, we should get stuff we need to lead a fulfilling life of personal development and community building.  This leads quite naturally to the broader questions surrounding consumption: when in need of a certain item, how can I ensure that the item is at the same time useful, attractive to me, and that the way it was produced does not lower the quality of life in a community (through for example the use of sweat shops)?

This is why, when I discovered a Kickstarter campaign supported by BrandBacker is currently backing up a campaign about a brand that seems to be focused on balancing out beauty, practicality, and ethics, I was immediately intrigued.  And so, although I have never tried shoes by Alterre, I’m definitely going to be following the company.

Alterre is a line of modular shoes for women that aims to create shoes that remain comfortable throughout the day, are versatile, and remain light on one’s feet.  They combined these traits to create shoes that can be interchanged into over 125 combinations.  The thought of 125 looks using a relatively minimal number of pieces is already quite intriguing to me.

Those of you who follow my product reviews know that I try to look into purchasing things that are as ethical as possible.  The best part of Alterre’s approach is that while their shoes are designed in their New York Studio, they are made according to fair labor laws in Brazil with locally sourced, genuine leather.  They also choose to source other components in Brazil as well to reduce their overall carbon footprint.

And just because, why not, the company donates 5% of the proceeds to the women’s abuse shelter Restore NYC.

Pretty clear, no, why I am planning on following this brand to see where it is heading to?  If you want to do so as well, you can follow them on Facebook.  You can also support them by contributing to their Kickstarter campaign.

Although I discovered this product through BrandBacker, no compensation or samples were provided; all opinions are my own.