On the road to the climate strike! On September 24th, two days before the federal election in 2021, actions will take place across Germany calling for more climate protection. We at Ethletic support the demands of the Fridays for Future movement for “a policy that takes the fight against the climate crisis seriously”. Black Cap Friday is our vehicle to attract attention.
Politics must finally act sustainably
As “green” pioneers in the shoe industry, we support the movement and see ourselves as part of it. “When I started Ethletic 15 years ago, sustainability was a foreign concept,” says founder Marc Solterbeck. Today, sustainability is a buzzword – but it has not yet been adequately received in political action. “We have to support the counter-movement – or: you can no longer support the failures,” says Solterbeck.
“Step right on the feet of the politicians”,
he explains why sneakers and Protest go so well together. The Black Cap Fridays, which have been proclaimed every Friday in the Ethletic shop since the end of August until the climate strike, are intended to attract attention to the uprising of young people in particular.
The sustainably and fairly produced Black Cap sneakers with the black cap are each reduced by 50 percent.
More than any other model in the range, they stand for non-conformism and autonomy, for free-thinking, and resolute advocacy for human values. They are also ideal for all those situations and activities in which a shoe does not usually stay completely clean.
Take a clear stand
Taking to the streets, kicking someone in the buttocks or on their feet, taking a point of view: many of the expressions that have to do with protest refer to someone’s feet. With Marc Solterbeck, this evokes further associations:
“In Pakistan, where our sneakers are made, a shoe is thrown at anyone who messed up.”
Throwing shoes is a completely tried and tested means in the Arab world to draw attention to the fact that someone is completely wrongly wound. However, it is more important than following this tradition to let Ethletic Black Cap sneakers fly at a demo, #kicksforclimateaction, be it to be loud when it comes to the climate and to take to the streets again and again, “so that the politicians can wake up and do something for our climate ”, summarizes Solterbeck.
There are always reasons why one cannot act.
“There is no longer any justification, there simply isn’t any!”
We pull through the already extremely popular 50 percent campaign on Fridays until the climate strike – “until we’re broke,” says Solterbeck with a wink.
The decade of choice
The Bundestag election is already known as the “climate election”, because last year, in particular, the consequences of global warming became abundantly clear on the basis of various extreme weather events around the world.
“A decade of decision lies ahead of us: we can still adhere to the 1.5-degree limit of the Paris Climate Agreement and curb the climate crisis and the global extinction of species,” says the website of the climate pledge movement of numerous climate and environmental associations.
“The next federal government must therefore make climate justice and the protection of biodiversity its top priority: with a consistent and environmentally friendly switch to renewable energies and a fundamental turnaround in transport and agriculture that must be socially just.”
That is why we at Ethletic use our reach to draw attention to the climate protest: Together on the street, preferably in “good” shoes!
Discount is often passed on as a tip
The discount on the popular Black Cap is also a thank you to all of you who have supported us for years and are pioneers of a movement – and it is a welcome to everyone who may have only recently signed up for being interested in a sustainable fashion.
What we’re particularly happy about: During the campaign, a large number of customers give tips in the shop via tip me. “The discount is given back a bit as a tip,” observes Solterbeck. And the great thing about tip me is “that the money that is thrown in at the top reaches the workers in Pakistan in exactly the same way”, without any deductions.
Passing on is absolutely desirable – both in terms of the climate strike and in terms of our campaign. :)
THANKS! –
says your Ethletic team
Editor: Annika Langhagel
Header-Photo: Markus Spiske von Pexels
Photo: Vincent M.A. Janssen von Pexels
