The shoes
Forget your memories of itchy wool. Baabuk specializes in ultra comfortable, soft and fluffy felts. The height of happiness, these shoes keep your feet warm in winter and cool in summer, while allowing the skin to breathe. We promise, once on your foot, you won't leave them! UNIL sneakers are brown, in order to respect the natural color of the fiber of our campus sheep, which only a chemical treatment would modify.
Manufacturing
Baabuk wants to produce as responsibly as possible. The sneakers are made in Europe, in Portugal to be precise. So yes, Dorigny wool has to make a detour to be transformed into shoes, but it is in Portugal that we find unparalleled expertise in the manufacture of shoes and in the weaving of felt. Baabuk's on-site commitment has also helped to perpetuate an industry that was in decline. Your sneakers are thus worked by hand on machines that are more than 100 years old.
Baabuk
But who is Baabuk? Founded by Galina, a former UNIL student and by Dan, a former EPFL student, the company was born about ten years ago. Social impact has been at the heart of their commitment from the outset, with great attention paid to both environmental and societal issues. Proof of this is the B Corp certification; "a global movement that uses the power of business to do good in its communities".
UNIL and sustainability
Did you know that the Dorigny campus is certified « 2000 watts in transformation » ? This distinction granted by the Federal Office of Energy after an accreditation and audit process validates the efforts made by UNIL, as well as its plans to continue to make the Dorigny campus a pioneering site.
According to a classification carried out by theWWF, which took into account 28 Swiss universities, UNIL is in second place in terms of sustainability.
Today:
- All of the electricity used on campus comes from sustainable and local sources.
- n our parks and gardens, no chemicals are used.
- Our 77 hectares of green spaces not only welcome the sheep, but also the Ferme de Bassenges team who is currently carrying out a diversified agriculture project including market gardening, livestock farming, and agroforestry – association of arboriculture and field crops.
- And much more! https://www.unil.ch/durable/engagements
You have seen this wool growing on the backs of sheep. Now it's up to you to cover your feet with it to show them other pastures!
Many thanks to Bob Martin (the shepherd) and to www.eco-pature.ch for this collaboration.