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About Native
A homegrown footwear label committed to crafting shoes you'll love to wear.
Native Story
Native Shoes
Native Shoes is a Vancouver-based footwear brand founded in 2009 by Damian Van Zyll De Jong and Matt Penner, built around injection-moulded EVA shoes that are lightweight, waterproof, and odour-resistant. The idea took shape in early 2008 when Van Zyll De Jong envisioned casual shoes inspired by classics like Vans and Converse but made from modern materials. After debuting at a Las Vegas tradeshow in 2009 and booking orders immediately, Native Shoes grew to produce approximately two million pairs annually, sold in over 45 countries. The Jefferson sneaker became the top-selling kids' shoe on Zappos.
The Plant Shoe
In 2019, Native Shoes introduced the Plant Shoe — a 100% plant-based, backyard-compostable sneaker made from corn, pineapple husk, cotton, eucalyptus, olive oil, and dried hevea milk. After two years of research and development, it was the first modern sneaker that could decompose in as few as 45 days in a compost bin. The brand also developed Bloom, an innovative material blending overgrown freshwater algae with EVA that helps clean lakes and rivers, and Sugarlite, a sugarcane-based compound producing 22% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than traditional EVA.
The Remix Project
Native Shoes launched the Remix Project in 2017, collecting worn shoes to either donate or grind down into playground flooring. Partnering with Marathon Surfaces in B.C., the program has recycled over 40,000 pairs and built six playgrounds across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. The company also partners with Soles4Souls to provide footwear to underserved populations globally. Half of Native's production is dedicated to children's footwear, and the brand targets what it calls "Generation Do" — kids who are aware of environmental and social issues.
Live Lightly
Native Shoes is headquartered in East Vancouver and opened its first retail store in Gastown in 2017. The brand's motto, "Live Lightly," captures a philosophy of making casual shoes that are durable, comfortable, and designed with environmental responsibility at every stage.