Our Commitment
Throw away that throwaway mentality.
We understand making footwear, apparel or really anything has vast impacts.
And so, every touchpoint of our shoe is considered. In our path to developing
a renewable sole,* not creating more waste than essential or using new resources
was imperative. From building a factory and custom machinery to working with
US-based suppliers, our goal was to rethink the summer staple from the ground up,
to make decisions now that impact the
long term.
stylish. But what’s more important is what goes into making them.
Why Quality Matters
No product should be made with the intention of it being thrown away, footwear can take decades to break down in a landfill. In order to change an unfortunate trend, disposability—something consumers and corporations partake in, we first made a product that would last. We developed Tidals using polyurethane, the material is durable, comfortable and truly considered the gold standard in all high-end performance footwear. Traditional polyurethane is fossil fuel dependent, we knew this would eventually be our achilles heel. To address this issue, in 2018 we got to work, partnering with our material supplier by introducing a bio-based renewable resource, Variable Biomass Oil [VBO] that would maintain Tidals long-lasting quality while making our sole renewable.* And what exactly are we calling this new material made from VBO? Meet Renewafoam™.
Location, Location,
Location
emissions. There's no shortage of benefits from buying local.
The Impact of Onshoring
Before we ever sold one flip flop, we built a factory, developed custom machinery and met with like minded US-based suppliers. Our investment in local production was an upfront cost, a reaction to the industry’s unseen and unregulated underbelly—opaque and mysterious supply chains. Big manufacturing facilities can chokehold brands, demanding large quantities as a requirement to do business, there’s also little flexibility to innovate processes and materials. At our New Rochelle factory we’re able to make as little or as much as we want and because we’re local, our product (and materials) aren’t being flown all around the world just to sell Tidals right here. We can collaborate and constantly iterate with our material supplier, Meramec, a partnership that led to our renewable sole* and a pivotal step in the footwear industry.
Made in the USA, 100%
Sole Material 01
Sullivan, MO
FUN FACT
They're the team we partnered with to innovate Renewafoam™!
Strap Material 02
Leominister, MA
FUN FACT
We designed our straps to be biodegrade in a modern (anaerobic) landfill.
Sole Colorant 03
Lewiston, ME
FUN FACT
Every season we deliberate over color options-each color reacts different with our Renewafoam™, making density testing a crucial step.
Strap Colorant 04
Holden, MA
FUN FACT
All the colors in the rainbow-We can perfectly match our straps to any color our heart desires.
Printing Inks 05
Manchester, NH
FUN FACT
The sustainable inks used during our patented UV printing process are on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and Green Guard Gold Certified!
Packaging 06
Louisville, CO
FUN FACT
Our packaging is reusable, recyclable and made from recycled material.
Recycling 07
Monmouth, NJ
FUN FACT
What happens to that “low waste from our factory?” Monmouth Rubber transforms it into exercise equipment that is super pretty
Our Renewable Sole,* Explained
In the footwear market, most eco-friendly advances have not impacted the actual petrochemical molecular chain required to develop polyurethane → That high performing material we keep talking about. Poly’s core ingredient is dependent on fossil fuel, the recipe has always allowed a 1-5% flexible substitute, we call this filler. The easy fix is to swap out the filler with a renewable alternative. Seeking greater impact, we’ve been working with Meramec to alter the actual chemistry behind Poly, to replace fossil carbon with renewable carbon at a higher percentage than filler which we demonstrate below. Enter: Variable Biomass Oil. VBO is sourced from current domestic excess, hence ‘variable’ — which refers only to the renewable source matter, not the percentage of renewability. Anything from plant and forest biomass, animal waste or municipal waste streams is up for grabs. You read that right: your Tidals are made from waste.
The (Chemical) Breakdown
we’re proud we invented a better product that not only eliminates
excess waste but is made from it.
Waste Not, Want Not
By 2018, the United States clocked in 292.4 million tons of municipal solid waste—this only continues to increase. Think: silos of soybeans in Indiana, a surplus of dead forest mass in California or municipal waste (uh huh) in Pennsylvania. All of it is just sitting there, taking up room. We decided to not let waste go to waste. And while Variable Biomass Oil is a mouthful, all it really means is that the renewable ingredient in our formula is constantly changing based on domestic excess. VBO reduces waste rather than creating potential overstock and it blends well into polyurethane keeping your Tidals super comfy. Now, with each collection, we’re able to significantly increase renewable content—effectively improving the formula while maintaining quality.
Wind, Water, Recycle
Wind, Water, Recycle
01. Wind Power
In partnership with Agera Energy and Con Edison, the factory was refitted in 2017 with LED ballasts and lighting to conserve energy, which we now return to the grid in 100% wind form.
02. Water Reduction
In an effort to reduce our water usage, we built a custom washing machine. Updating this machine has allowed us to cut our water use at the factory by 73% from 2016 to 2017 and has stayed the same since. Originally the wash process was 30 minutes, but now only takes 5!
03. Recycling Program
Believe it or not, we searched for some time to find a recycling program. Most places turned us away saying we didn’t have enough waste! Thanks to Monmouth Rubber any flops that don’t meet our high standards are recycled and turned into exercise equipment called Bondaflex.
Proof is in the Partners
B Corp
We meet the highest verified
standards of social and
environmental performance,
transparency and accountability.
USDA BioPreferred
Certified Product
In an effort to ditch fossil fuels and
use bio-based resources, our black
soles come to 30% bio-based and
all other colors are 25% bio-based.
1% for the Planet
In 2018, we joined the 1% family
and committed to giving 1% of
gross sales to environmental
non-profits.
Surfrider New York
Surfrider is dedicated to protecting
oceans through grassroots events
and activism. TIDAL partners with
them on an annual beach clean and
on-going donations throughout
the year.
sustainability and transparency. The general understanding of local
production has evolved from a spirit of nationalism to one of having
a stake in environmentalism and ethical business practices.”
TIDAL New York is B Corp Certified. Vetted and reviewed, we are proud to meet the highest standards of social and environmental impact.
