PUR -Men's-Women's Footwear Fall 2011/Spring 2012

words/images Judith Ecochard

Outdoor Retailer, SLC

These nifty suede leather gladiators "ROME" by the Canadian owned company PUR caught our eyeballs---when we visited parent company Baffin (to be reviewed later).

Tagged '...footwear with a conscience..." a curious claim in this bunch of Outdoor Retailer exhibitors who are very eco minded form cradle to cradle---we never-the-less got the drift-as the PUR tries to keeps its manufacturing as "earth friendly" as possible---i.e. leathers are vegetable (not chemical) dyed, no adhesives etc.

The styles are what we would call 'earthy' with shock absorbing natural crepe outsoles, and latex foam cushioning.

Styles for men and women--available now, range in price from CAD$89-$149 for boots (all prices Canadian dollar). Not fussy, these casual kickers have nice fashiony aspects to them-and are made for natural walking advocates as there are no hard liners or built -in arches which can throw one off balance, shifting the weight too much on the heels...a problem with most support shoes and flip-flops.