Shoes, in general, are held together with glue of some sort, be it a water- or petroleum-based solvent. The OutsideIn collection from Patagonia uses glueless construction to create a 2-in-1 shoe – the leather uppers can be worn alone or with the natural latex rubber outsole.

Each shoe in the collection can be broken down into four parts: a recycled EVA footbed, a removable recycled plastic foot frame, a pigskin leather upper and a natural latex outsole.

Featured shoe: W's Sugar & Spice

The removable, 15% recycled EVA footbed, with pigskin lining, is comfortable to wear with or without socks. The footbed has plugs on the bottom that fit into the recycled plastic foot frame.

This is the only place where water-based solvents are applied for durability. We use .01 kg of solvent per pair to hold the leather lining to the EVA footbed.

A recycled plastic foot frame adds support. The footbed snaps into the foot frame like a puzzle.

The slipper-like pigskin leather upper can be worn on its own indoors. The super-soft leather makes wearing socks optional.

Our leather comes from ISO 14001- and BLC-approved tanneries. Both demand that a minimal environmental footprint be maintained. The objectives of the BLC are to develop and maintain a protocol that assesses the compliance and environmental performance of tanners, and to promote sustainable business practices: less waste, reusable/clean water, healthy working conditions, etc. ISO 14001 is a non industry-specific standard we use as a first step in selecting our leather suppliers.

Complimenting the cozy leather upper is the detachable, all-natural latex outsole. When combined, the shoes from our OutsideIn collection become tough enough to wear anywhere.

The outsoles are constructed from 70% natural latex rubber that's harvested from hevea trees. Not only is the harvesting process good for the tree, helping boost milk production, but the milk itself has a certain microstructure that, when cured, creates thousands of tiny cushioning air bubbles. You’ll tread lighter and be more comfortable.

Here we see the Women's Sugar & Spice in action. If you like the idea of glueless 2-in-1 shoes, check out the other styles from our OutsideIn collection. We offer men's and women's versions of both the Toast & Jam and the Rum & Cola.