Our Planet,
Our Commitment
MATERIALS  MATTER

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.

Tidals are high quality flip flops that are comfortable, durable and
stylish. But what’s more important is what goes into making them.
Product Lifespan
Product Lifespan 01

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

Locations map
Supply chain transparency. Inventory reduction. Reduced carbon
emissions. There's no shortage of benefits from buying local.
Onshoring
Onshoring 02

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.

Supply Chain 03

Made in the USA, 100%

Previous Next
Rubbish to renewable. Our comfy flops are made from excess waste.
Product Lifespan
Renewability 04

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.

Chemistry 101 05

The (Chemical) Breakdown

Chemistry 101
In an industry often known for wastefulness and overproduction,
we’re proud we invented a better product that not only eliminates
excess waste but is made from it.
Onshoring
Made with Waste 06

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.

ICYMI, reducing impact is kinda our thing.
Reduce, Recycle 07

Wind, Water, Recycle

Reduce, Recycle 07

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.

Partners 08

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.

“We’ve seen the onshoring movement gain steam around
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.”
Tim, Co-Founder
*Why include this asterisk? As a brand and innovator, we take our facts seriously, and work to make sure that what we say is what we mean; as well as giving you, our customer, the respect you deserve in how we disclose those facts. As we make constant progress towards the best possible flip flop, with the lowest impact on our planet, the nature of the renewability of our source will be constantly upgraded, until the entire product can be said to be renewable itself. T is for TIDAL but also TRANSPARENCY.
Certified B Corporation

 

TIDAL New York is B Corp Certified. Vetted and reviewed, we are proud to meet the highest standards of social and environmental impact.
1% For the Planet

 

We’re an active member of the 1% For The Planet family—Pledging 1% of gross sales to environmental non-profits.