---
title: Sustainable American-Made Footwear
description: Bard MBA student spoke with Kim Falkenhayn, Okanashi's president, about the challenges and opportunities presented by their  commitment both to local manufacturing and to closed-loop recycling.
---

[Lead the Change Podcast ](https://leadthechange.bard.edu/podcast)

# [Sustainable American-Made Footwear](https://leadthechange.bard.edu/podcast/sustainable-america-made-footwear)

 Written by [Kim Falkenhayn, Okabashi Shoes](https://leadthechange.bard.edu/podcast/author/kim-falkenhayn-okabashi-shoes) | Jan 24, 2018 7:24:28 PM

Kim Falkenhayn, President of Okabashi shoes and Sara Irvani, CEO of Okabashi shoes discuss their footwear brand. With the capacity to manufacture up to 20,000 pairs of shoes a day in their environmentally-friendly Buford, Georgia factory, Okabashi, employs more than 200 people at its factory. They attribute much of the company's success to the fact that their drive to create for a better economy and environment in the United States is integral to the brand's DNA - something that their employees, consumers, and buyers are also passionate about.

When “Made in America” Means “Made Sustainably” Currently, fewer than 2% of shoes worn in the United States are made here. Most are manufactured overseas by a labor force that works in conditions that would not be acceptable for American workers. As a result, its flip flops, sandals and clogs travel almost 10,000 fewer miles than the average imported shoe, substantially reducing their carbon footprint.

*The Bard MBA’s Cory Skuldt recently spoke with Kim Falkenhayn, the company’s President, about the challenges and opportunities presented by Okabashi’s commitment both to local manufacturing and to closed-loop recycling. For tips on [how to be more sustainable](https://gpsresources.bard.edu/what-is-sustainable-development/learn-how-to-be-more-sustainable), subscribe to our [blog](https://leadthechange.bard.edu/blog).*

[View full post](https://leadthechange.bard.edu/podcast/sustainable-america-made-footwear)

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