Isabela Chusid

Fast fashion harms the environment, but sustainable options are in short supply

According to the United Nations, the fast fashion industry generates as much as eight percent of global carbon emissions. But even consumers who want to buy sustainable clothes struggle to find stylish, affordable options. Linus founder and CEO Isabela Chusid hopes to change that. The company’s eco-friendly PVC sandals are made from 70 percent renewable and 20 percent recycled resources, and are 100 percent recyclable and vegan.

“I want to make it much easier for consumers to buy sustainable options and therefore make it more profitable for companies to sell real sustainable products,” she says.

Linus’s stylish sandal relieves foot pain while treading lightly on the planet

Isabela was already tracking the fashion industry’s environmental impact when she was diagnosed in early 2018 with ligament laxity in her feet. Unable to find attractive shoes that not only supported her feet but had a minimal effect on the environment and were easy to wear on a daily basis, she decided to create the solution herself.

“I wanted to develop super-comfortable shoes that could be worn all the time and had the smallest possible environmental footprint,” Isabela says.

Working with orthopedists, materials engineers, and other specialists, Isabela launched the brand six months later. Made entirely in Brazil to reduce carbon emissions related to importing raw materials and promote the development of new raw materials locally, Linus sandals are made from a single material—micro-expanded PVC—that’s free of heavy metals and phthalates. The sandals are certified vegan, which means that the material used in their composition is not tested on animals and the company has replaced animal-based plasticizing and lubricating oils with vegetable oils.

“We provide an entry point for individuals who want to make more sustainable choices but are having a hard time doing so,” Isabela says. “By offering stylish, unisex, and timeless products, we hope to not only combat the culture of fast fashion but also inspire customers to lead a more sustainable lifestyle.”

Sustainability expands to encompass human dignity and women’s empowerment

Each pair of Linus sandals has a carbon footprint of 364 grams of CO2—far less than many daily consumable items. The company is also carbon negative, offsetting 200 percent of the CO2 its activities emit by purchasing carbon credits from a company that combats Amazon deforestation, and Linus recycles much more material than it produces due to its recycling projects.

Isabela believes that sustainability is not just about taking care of the planet, but also about providing a dignified and fair life for the people who live on it. The company donates 100 percent of the profits from its Linus Amazônia line to OPAN, an NGO that works to strengthen indigenous rights.

Linus also promotes gender equality by partnering with a nonprofit that empowers women through education and training. In addition, 21 of the company’s 25 employees are women.

Isabela hopes to expand the number of Brazilian stores that sell Linus sandals, establish international collaborations, and launch a line of children’s sandals. “We're just at the beginning of our journey,” she says. “There's so much that we can do, there's so much impact that we can generate and so many lives that we can change.”