Homegrown footwear giant Charles & Keith is super serious about reducing its carbon footprint. Already, that effort has seen it being the only retailer here to certify all of its stores as eco-friendly, with all of its 30 shops having had their practices evaluated against the Singapore Environment Council’s Eco-Shop Certification standards.

Its latest effort in staying woke goes a step further with the launch of its first sustainable sneakers collection called the 4Ward. Now in stores, the collection comprises knitted designs that include a trendy sock-sneaker style ($75.90) and a slip-on option ($65.90) that comes either in an abstract pattern or a snakeskin print.

The 4Ward sneakers include a trendy sock-sneaker style and sleek slip-on designs.

Thirty per cent of the breathable carbon fibre used for the shoe uppers are made from bamboo – a fast-growing crop often used by sustainable fashion labels. Meanwhile, algae which help to capture the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, make up one-fifth of the material composition of the chunky foam soles. Finally, to hold the different components of the shoes in place, the folks here rely on a water-based glue to eliminate the use of chemicals.

If you think that growing the size of your shoe cabinet sounds like an anti-thesis to eliminating consumer waste and the green message, the brand has got that covered too. From now till Jan 7, simply bring any of your old shoes to the Charles & Keith outlets at 313@Somerset, Ion Orchard, Jewel Changi Airport, Marina Bay Sands and VivoCity and exchange them for a 10 per cent discount off for the 4Ward shoes. Now that’s one what we call paying it, ehem, forward.