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Did you know that the shoes you wear can help the planet? The hemp canvas we use to make our barefoot shoes is more than just a breathable, comfortable material. Let's take a look at where its power really lies.
Hemp and CO₂: numbers that might surprise you
One hectare of industrial hemp absorbs 8 to 15 tonnes of CO₂ per year. For comparison — forests capture 2 to 6 tonnes of CO₂ per hectare annually. That makes hemp two to three times more effective at absorbing CO₂ than trees. These figures come from research by Darshil Shah at the Centre for Natural Material Innovation, University of Cambridge.
And it doesn't stop there. Hemp roots penetrate up to two metres into the ground, locking carbon deep in the soil — where it stays put and doesn't return to the atmosphere. Less carbon in the air means fewer greenhouse gases. Simple and effective.
Fast-growing, low-maintenance
Hemp reaches maturity in just 100 to 120 days — doing in a single season what other crops take years to achieve. And it doesn't ask for much in return.
Unlike cotton, which requires an average of 10,000 litres of water per kilogram of fibre, hemp gets by on around 2,700 litres — four times less. It's also naturally resistant to pests and diseases, meaning it needs virtually no pesticides or herbicides. Cotton, on the other hand, is one of the most chemically demanding crops in the world.
That's exactly why we choose hemp canvas as the foundation for our barefoot shoes — sustainable footwear production isn't just a buzzword for us. It's an everyday choice.
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It doesn't deplete the soil — it restores it
Intensive farming destroys soil. Hemp does the opposite. It boosts biodiversity, produces large amounts of pollen that bees love, and leaves the soil in better shape than before it was sown. Every harvest gives back more than it takes.
From seed to barefoot sneaker
When you put on a pair of Bohempia hemp barefoot shoes, you're not just enjoying the benefits of natural movement. You're choosing a product made from a material that actively reduces CO₂ in the atmosphere, conserves water, and helps restore soil.
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Every step and every choice counts
The material your shoes are made from matters more than you might think. So does where and how they're made. Hemp proves that style, natural movement and sustainability don't have to be at odds. And we're glad that at Bohempia, you can have all of that — in shoes made from quality materials, produced the right way.
SOURCES:
- Darshil Shah, Centre for Natural Material Innovation, Cambridge University
- British Hemp Alliance – Carbon Sequestration Potential of Hemp
- AX Foundation – Hemp Carbon Sequestration
- ScienceDirect – Industrial hemp fiber: A sustainable and economical alternative to cotton
- Loom & Fiber – Cotton vs Hemp