Committed to Building a More Sustainable Future
Family-owned since 1946, Minnetonka has always done things a little differently. Today, we're focused on crafting comfortable footwear while taking steps to be more sustainable and socially responsible.
2024 Progress
Leather:
100% of cow leather tanneries we work with have been gold/silver certified by Leather Working Group (LWG). Category: Environment
Development of Eco Pile Lining:
Finalized our development and testing of a new 80% post-consumer recycled lining to use on our in-line styles moving forward.
Production started in 2024 and our goal is to use that recycled lining in almost all of our styles by the end of 2025. Category: Environment
Packaging
95% of shoe boxes made with recycled materials and soy-based ink. ~15% converted to sustainable one-piece box. Category: Environment
Manufacturing
In our Dominican Republic manufacturing facility, our portable water system saves an estimated 720,590 gallons of water per year. Category: Environment
Shipping Warehouse
We recycle 100% of corrugated cardboard saving:
- 80 tons of CO2
- 318,000 KWH of power
- 457 cubic yards of landfill
- 1,011,556 gallons of water
- 2,457 trees
Category: Environment:
Factory Audit
All of our manufacturing adheres to a strict code of conduct and 78% of our footwear comes from factories that achieve nearly a 98% audit compliance score. Category: Environment
Paper Reduction
New paper-less order system established in 2023. 240k pieces of paper use eliminated. Category: Environment
Native American Commitment
Launched 5 Native American Designed Product collections. Progress made across all 5 of our Native American Commitments. Category: Social
Giving Back
Minnetonka Employees volunteered with 23 charitable organizations, amounting to 260 total hours of volunteer time. Category: Social
Employee Inclusion
57% of new employees hired were people of diverse ethnicity. Category: Social
Trees Planted
48,494 trees since 2022. In partnership with One Tree Planted. Category: Social
Doing Right by Our Community
We believe in giving back–through time, resources, and support. Over the years, we've invested in causes that uplift children, women, families, schools, and Native communities. We're committed to continuing this support, while also honoring the Native American culture that has influenced our brand by collaborating with Native artists and creators, who will be recognized and fairly compensated for their work.
Doing Right by Our People
At Minnetonka, tradition and progress go hand in hand. From how we craft our footwear to how we treat our team, we're committed to doing better every day. That means building a diverse, inclusive workplace and working only with manufacturing partners who meet high ethical standards.
Proudly family-owned and operated since 1946, Minnetonka’s long-standing independence has allowed us to do things a bit differently than other companies throughout the years. Today, we’re driven to be transparent and intentional about our path forward. While we continue to craft beautiful, comfortable footwear, we are also committed to becoming more sustainable and socially responsible.
To become a more eco-friendly company, we underwent our first top-to-bottom sustainability audit with external experts in 2021. Today, we are tracking our sustainability commitments in a yearly report to ensure that we reach our goal of making a real, measurable difference toward building a more sustainable future.
We believe in the power of giving. Whether it’s donating time, energy or resources, a helping hand can go a long way in strengthening a community. Over the years, Minnetonka has focused on investing in causes that benefit children, women, families, schools, and the Native American community. We will continue to actively support a number of Native organizations doing important work in Minnesota and beyond. But that’s not enough. We intend to move forward in a manner that acknowledges and honors the Native American culture, design, and people who have influenced our brand and business. We’re committed to collaborating with Native artists, designers, and creators who will receive recognition and payment for their work.
At Minnetonka, meaningful tradition and lasting change go hand in hand. From the craftsmanship of our footwear to the way we treat our employees – every day we show up to work, we honor our longstanding principle of striving to do better. That’s why we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace at our Minneapolis, MN headquarters and holding our manufacturing partners to high ethical standards.
