WITH EVERY STEP, R0AM’S ALGAE-MADE SLIPPERS HELP THE PLANET
By: Erica Commisso
Kay Sides’ inspiration to create R0AM shoes wasn’t necessarily to become a cult classic - it just worked out that way. Her inspiration, instead, was science-backed - using innovative sustainable technology to create shoes that are good for the earth and are actually chic.
This summer, R0AM expanded its style footprint while keeping its eco footprint low. Following the success of the slides and ready-to-wear-items, the brand launched a slipper with technology, developed in 2015, that uses an earth-derived ingredient as a primary component. The revolutionary sustainable tech underfoot is crafted with a 30% BLOOM RISE™ footbed made from algae. It’s designed to reduce petroleum use, capture CO₂, and return clean water to the environment.
“Each product made with BLOOM has its own environmental impact called ‘eco-facts,’ which show how much water was cleaned and returned to the environment and how much carbon dioxide was captured,” Sides says. “When you buy products made with BLOOM, you are actively helping restore ecosystems. For example, when you buy one pair of ROAM Slips, you are helping to clean 53.4 liters of water (14 gallons cleaned and restored to the environment) and 55.3 cubic meters of air, capturing 40.1 grams of carbon dioxide.
“While excess algae can be harmful to the environment, BLOOM transforms it into a solution - creating sustainable materials by harvesting nuisance algae and returning clean water back to the ecosystem.”
Algae, after all, is the fastest growing plant in the world - it’s capable of doubling in size in 24 hours, and it grows naturally without any fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides and without the requirement of arable land. Its unique qualities allow it to act like a plastic, which makes it the perfect base for a shoe - or a slipper.
R0AM’s newly released slippers also pull from Sides’ roots - she was raised in Hawai’i, where “slippahas” are worn daily and are integrated into daily life. Nature was also woven into her upbringing, and she was always taught to treat the land with respect. But it also meant that she needed shoes that would offer comfort and support for outdoor activities, for every person who wants to enjoy all it has to offer.
“I am very focused on creating styles that alleviate pressure on sensitive areas of the foot - for example, for people who suffer from bunions,” she says. “Our custom-molded footbed provides both substantial support and ‘squish’ comfort with strong return, which makes them great to walk in on all different types of surfaces, and for miles at a time. We have all ROAMED around the world in them!”
The launch of the slippers also honours the reason Sides started the business to begin with. “The impetus to create ROAM came from a very authentic and honest need. I was always searching for an easy, comfortable, stylish, and cool option that could carry me through my busy, dimensional day as a business owner, mother, and active person,” she says. “I wanted something I could wear to a meeting, to pick up my daughter from school, to work out, to walk my dog, and even to go out at night - without needing to change shoes. I couldn’t find anything that truly checked all the boxes, so I decided to create my own.”
The slippers are also an addition to a line that focuses on sustainability in more than one way. In addition to their certifiably and recyclable packaging - a staple of the brand - and the algae soles, the entire slipper, and the process around it, shows love for the environment. “We’ve been focused on creating as little harm as possible wherever we can,” Sides says. “We use all vegan, in-market luxury materials - no animals are harmed and we do not mill new fabrications, instead choosing to be part of the solution by using materials already made. Fashion already creates an enormous waste problem, and we don’t need to add to that.”