Even as Bared continues its hunt for sustainable outsoles, the first Australian shoe label to achieve B Corp certification began 2026 with good news on its recertification status.
Bared is now the first to garner recertification as a B Corp in Australia. The brand is known for its sustainability focus, and its improved B Impact Score reflects years of operational work across categories that include ethical manufacturing partnerships, responsible materials, corporate governance and transparency. The new Impact score rises to 126.7 from 95 in 2021. A score of 80 is required for B Corp certification.
“Moving from a score of 95 to 126.7 is something we are incredibly proud of because it represents real change behind the scenes,” said company founder and CEO Anna Baird. “But we are under no illusion that this means we are finished. No footwear company is truly sustainable. What matters is momentum, accountability and action, and B Corp gives us a framework to keep improving as the standards rise.”
B Corp certification requires firms to get recertified every three years if they want to keep the globally recognized designation. The process not only requires a willingness of firms to be held accountable via independent assessments again and again, but also that they continually improve their operations and business practices as standard levels rise.
The shoe firm last year had to shift gears following the Natural Fiber Welding (NFW) bankruptcy. Forty percent of Bared’s outsoles were from NFW. Baird was able to secure the remaining outsoles in NFW’s inventory, but is now reviewing options that can provide the same sustainability features. In an interview with Footwear News last year, Baird is exploring footbeds made from bio-based materials, such as those from Tenera.
Although more firms are looking at how to increase the use of sustainable materials in their footwear, not all brands are B Corp Certified. One B Corp Certified brand is Kane Footwear, which through its Project Renew program gives customers a discount on a new pair of Kanes when they send back their old ones to be upcycled into Kane yoga and changing mats. Another brand is luxury footwear firm Aera, which makes its shoes from non-animal ingredients with the goal of zero environmental impact. And a third brand that is undergoing revitalization is Nisolo. Under the leadership of new CEO Taryn Jones Laeben, Nisolo is looking at ways to salvage leather scraps from its shoe production process and work them into new footwear styles or small leather goods.
