Sneakers Bergen Men's White/ Dark Blue

Introducing the latest sneaker in our collection. Working with one of the best factories in Portugal for sneaker production, these have been over a year in development — from the sketch to coming off the production line this summer.

It is a trainer palette that has never needed reinventing. The Bergen keeps it clean — a body with panels at the toe, heel and quarters, laces, and a tread carrying the colour right down to the ground. What lifts it is the detail. The eyelets sit hidden behind the upper apart from the top pair, left and on show. Perforations across the toe let air move through and break up the panel. A soft vegan suede patch sits at the back, and there's a leaf WVS on the side and again on the tongue, with stitching worked around the tongue details. The outsole has a subtle WVS emboss underneath. First look, you don't see these details, but they come together to make a shoe with class. When you own them you see them — and you know you're wearing a pair of ethically made, high quality vegan sneakers by Will's Vegan Shoes.

The upper is cut from our signature Italian bio-based vegan leather made with 62–66% plant-origin materials, panelled with Italian vegan suede that gives a soft matte contrast against the smooth. Step in and your foot sits in padding — the tongue is padded all the way down, and so is the collar and around the sides. Underneath there's a removable contoured sports insole shaped to follow your foot, with a breathable recycled polyester mesh lining keeping air moving around it.

They're built the way athletic shoes are built. Strobel construction stitches the upper directly onto a flexible fabric base, so there's no rigid board sitting between your foot and the ground, and the TR cupsole is bonded on around the sidewall. It's why they flex through the forefoot from the first step rather than needing breaking in, and why the pair comes in at 900g.

The low profile is what makes them so easy to place. They work under tailoring — flannel trousers and a fine knit, where the combination of colors brings some colour and contrast to it. Dark denim and a plain t-shirt. Chinos with the hem turned once. Shorts in August.

The colors gets along with everything. That's the whole point of them.

• Upper: Italian bio-based vegan leather (62–66% plant-origin materials) and Italian vegan suede (100% PU)
• Lining: Breathable sports mesh lining in 100% recycled polyester (rPET) – an open mesh that keeps air moving to help feet stay cool and fresh
• Insole: Removable contoured PU sports insole – shaped to follow your foot for cushioned, supportive comfort
• Outsole: TR (thermoplastic rubber) cupsole with a grippy moulded tread for traction and flex through the forefoot for comfortable walking. The tread is finished with color that match the vegan suede on the upper, tying the sole into the shoe rather than breaking it up — and keeping the part that meets the ground looking clean for longer.
• Laces: Long, extra-strong laces (100% recycled polyester), with metal lace tips (100% zamak — a durable zinc alloy)

Source: Shop Like You Give a Damn

Will's Vegan Store launched in 2012 as a vegan shoe company. Since then, they've moved into fashion and other products as well.

The brand continuously reflects on it's operations to see where they can do better. 

Eco-friendly: The majority of items are made from vegan leather alternatives. Some are still plastic-based (PU/PE), but since 2017 they've introduced more biobased and recycled materials into their vegan leather. They have created a sneaker that's fully biodegradable and are certified carbon neutral.

Extra cool is that they have a take back scheme, where you can send back your old shoes to be recycled into outsoles for new Will Vegan's Shoes.

Vegan: As the name suggest, Will's is a completely vegan brand. It's PETA-approved.

Fair & local production: Will's Vegan produces in factories in Portugal and Italy, of which some are part of the Fair Wear Foundation.