VEJA x BERLIN

THE CAPITAL CITY SNEAKER

THE BERLIN SNEAKER:
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
MEETS CAPITAL
CITY FLAIR

Berlin lives and breathes fashion! Berliners, with their love for individual dress culture, lend each neighborhood of the city a very special vibe characterised by art, club scenes, diversity and multi-culturality. The city and its inhabitants set trends that cannot be defined as a single "Berlin style" – trends that are more honest, casual and raw than those in many other fashion metropolises.

Let's embrace them. But for all Berlin’s individuality, fashion is unfortunately becoming more and more of a throwaway commodity, not only in the capital, but all over Germany. Of the 5.2 billion items of clothing purchased in Germany, 40% are rarely or never worn. High time, then, that we change the fashion world together sustainably and create awareness for sustainable fashion: working conditions that are empowering and fair, durable and degradable materials, as well as sustainable consumption. With this in mind, Berlin is increasingly becoming a location for fair and ecological fashion; after all, it isn't dubbed the green fashion capital of Germany for nothing! Our city is home to countless second-hand stores, designers with a focus on upcycling and recycling and certified fair fashion stores. This means that we have a reputation to defend, so to speak.

Together with VEJA, we have created a Berlin sneaker that combines both elements – style and sustainability. The minimalist VEJA look in the form of the Minotaur sneaker was given the typical Berlin red colouring, specially created retro-futuristic Berlin lettering and the iconic Berlin bear for the Capital City edition. The durable Berlin sneaker is produced under fair working conditions in Brazil and is made from sustainable and innovative materials, such as rice waste, recycled rubber and organic cotton. This gem of a sneaker is available as a limited edition online and in selected stores from 3rd November.

CHARITY ON SMART SOLES!
VEJA X BERLIN
SUPPORT THE
OBDACHLOSENHILFE E.V.
HOMELESS CHARITY
WITH A DONATION OF €25.000

For VEJA and the City of Berlin, social projects are a matter of the heart – and this is why VEJA is donating €25,000 to the Berliner Obdachlosenhilfe homeless charity as part of the "Berlin Sneaker" collaboration.

Harsh, but a reality: every year, more and more people find themselves living on the streets of Berlin. Far too rarely does anyone take care of them, talk to them or cook for them. The Berliner Obdachlosenhilfe homeless charity is a non-profit association that seeks to engage in contributing to greater social togetherness. Since back in 2013, it has been undertaking several tours every week to make life easier for people who are homeless and in need, as well as providing them with hot meals, coffee, tea, fruit, sandwiches, clothing, sleeping bags and sleeping mats. In addition, it collects information about, and from, free doctors, emergency shelters, soup kitchens, rehab facilities, psychiatric clinics and other institutions – allowing it to also provide advice to those seeking help.

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BERLIN SNEAKER
AMBASSADORS WANTED!

To the competition

Conditions of participation

In Berlin, social engagement is important: one in three Berliners is involved in charitable activities and thus makes an immense contribution to cooperation and the strengthening of democracy in our city. This has to be recognised – which is why we‘re looking for ambassadors for the Berlin Sneaker in Berlin's engagement landscape!

Are you part of a charitable initiative or are aware of associations, people or groups that are committed to a good cause? Then we.berlin is the right place for you. Apply with your heartfelt project or nominate others for their volunteer work and win a package with 20 pairs of sneakers with the Berlin design as recognition of this. The shoes will be presented to the winning initiative. Starting on 10th November, we will be announcing a new competition every 14 days on a wide variety of commitment topics: from children's and youth welfare to nature conservation, from nursing and health initiatives to sports and from working with refugees to social work. Our weekly topics will be just as diverse as the areas in which volunteers work in Berlin.

Here's what to do:

Apply our Instagram AR filter to the Berlin Sneaker and explain in a story clip which initiative you want to nominate and why.
Your suggestion needs a Berlin reference and must fit the weekly theme.
Post the clip and link @wirberlin in the story
Your profile must be public.

We look forward to your applications and wish you good luck!

SUSTAINABLE SNEAKERS FOR A SUSTAINABLE BERLIN

This is what it looks like: the sneaker for real Berlin fans
This is what it looks like: the sneaker for real Berlin fans
This is what it looks like: the sneaker for real Berlin fans
This is what it looks like: the sneaker for real Berlin fans
This is what it looks like: the sneaker for real Berlin fans

MORE RETAILERS
HAVE OUR SNEAKER
IN THEIR RANGES

WHO ARE VEJA?

Founded in Paris in 2005, the VEJA sneaker label has a mission: sneaker lovers want to combine social projects, economic justice and ecological materials in the manufacturing of their products. To achieve this, VEJA uses Brazilian and Peruvian organic cotton for the fabric and laces, rubber from the Amazon for the soles, and other innovative materials obtained from recycled plastic bottles or recycled polyester.

VEJA sneakers are produced in Brazil in factories with high safety standards. The logistics on-site are managed by the professional and socially inclusive company Log`íns. But Berlin also occupies an important place in the VEJA cosmos. The metropolis on the Spree was one of the first cities involved in the launching of the VEJA project 17 years ago. With the Berlin sneaker, the label designed a style for one of its favourite European capitals, while at the same time launching its first collaboration with a city.