The True Women’s FitTM Lynx range is in many ways the clearest reflection of V12 Footwear's passion for sustainable manufacturing. It's a boot that shows that - for any product - there’s always potential for more eco-friendly and waste-reducing innovation. This is the story of the True Women's Fit Lynx, and how we made it our most sustainable safety boot yet.
V12 is committed to producing the most comfortable and durable boots for a range of industries, but manufacturing them in a sustainable and responsible way is equally key - and why we made a commitment to operate as a zero-carbon organization.
There’s no use denying it, and besides, the truth, even when problematic, is a liberating thing to accept. Because it can focus, motivate and prime an organisation on which aspects of that truth it wants to change.
And with the Lynx safety boot range, we wanted to change A LOT. The aim was for Lynx to not just be our most sustainable product yet, but one that delivered meaningful climate results that benefited the planet, our wearers and suppliers.
For the Lynx range, we looked to reduce carbon emissions at every stage of its life - from design and materials through to manufacturing, shipping, and packaging. All members of the V12 team bought into the ‘why’ behind making our footwear range more sustainable, uniting under the shared slogan, “Sustainability is a team game.”
The initial eco-strategy of the Lynx - which began as a men’s range in 2022 - was guided by three sustainability pillars: REDUCE, EXTEND, OFFSET.
We relocated production of the Lynx from Asia to Europe. This cut shipping distances by a massive 8,000 miles, and this change reduced approximately 225kg of CO₂ per shipment.
By using premium materials and top-level construction, Lynx boots last significantly longer than cheaper alternatives, reducing the frequency of replacements and subsequent landfill waste. This “built-to-last” philosophy makes a big sustainability impact.
To offset remaining emissions from the production, we invest in verified carbon offset projects in reforestation, renewable energy and global community development.
What's fit got to do with sustainability? We think A LOT. We understand the link between poor fit, returns and emissions - and we wanted to break that link through increasing comfort through fit, and lowering emissions through decreasing returns.
For V12, the 'one shape fits all' approach doesn’t work for women, ultimately because that one shape has historically been a man’s. V12’s female safety footwear collection is called the True Women’s Fit range for a reason: they are boots built on gender data-driven innovation.
Informed by 2,000 images of women’s feet and made in collaboration with the final remaining UK last maker, the last is sculpted to reflect the unique anatomy of the female foot. As a result, Lynx gives bespoke fit and support for women by contouring and accommodating the global female foot shape.
The average returns rate is 4%. Ours is 0.2017%. And we’re proud of that as a Customer Service AND sustainability figure.
In the Lynx boot, we exchanged our traditional waterproof lining with the Sympatex® waterproof membrane, which is 100% recyclable, PFAS-free, climate-neutral, and produced with low water and energy consumption, enhancing the sustainability of the Lynx even further. More than 25% of the raw materials used in the Sympatex membrane are renewable, bio-based raw materials, and the bio-content in this membrane leads to 12% less CO2 emissions per kg polymer.
Furthermore, Sympatex is among the few producers of recyclable polyether-ester membranes with the bluesign® certificate.
The leather used in Lynx’s upper is sourced from the Leather Working Group (LWG), a Gold-certified tannery, ensuring the highest environmental standards are adhered to during the tanning process.
And note: the data used on the average waterproof boot refers to a non safety pair, without the additional and mandatory components and materials that constitute a safety boot.
And this range's green achievements have been getting noticed. We're really proud that this range has been short-listed for a National Sustainability award for Carbon Reduction.
The Lynx project was a sustainability success not just because of its climate results: it also fostered a company-wide culture of sustainable-thinking, and highlighted how many opportunities in a company’s supply chain there are to achieve environmentally responsible manufacturing.
Lynx became less of a product and more of a movement within V12 Footwear, and it’s one that will continue to be a flagship of sustainability throughout our business, proving that products with the right design, materials and endeavour behind them can make progress, not pollution.