Integrating carbon footprint analysis with eco-design for sustainable footwear: A life cycle perspective

The global footwear industry faces pressure to adopt sustainable practices but lacks comprehensive decarbonization strategies. This study establishes a synergistic framework integrating eco-design with life cycle assessment (LCA) to identify hotspots and propose actionable strategies for managing trade-offs in the manufacture of sustainable footwear. Using a men’s walking shoe marketed as sustainable as a case study, a cradle-to-grave LCA was conducted with primary industry data to assess greenhouse gas emissions across stages including raw material extraction, production, transportation, use, and end-of-life. Findings indicate that raw material acquisition is the primary contributor to the carbon footprint, with key hotspots identified in the polymer-heavy outsole and wool insole. Four eco-design strategies (including recycled material integration, lightweighting, detachable assembly, and clean energy adoption) as well as a combined approach were evaluated. Results demonstrate that lightweight design reduced lifecycle emissions by 12% through material reduction and logistics efficiency, while recycled content achieved a 7% reduction. Although all strategies decreased emissions per product, lightweight design and recycled content were found to shorten product lifespan, increasing emissions per functional unit by up to 9.6%. In contrast, the combined strategy delivered consistent carbon reductions across both per-product and per-functional-unit perspectives, ranging from 5% to 18%, highlighting that a balanced multi-strategy approach is more effective than extreme single-lever interventions. This study offers a replicable methodology underscoring that systemic sustainability must equally address materials, logistics, and post-use management to align product innovation with climate goals. It further validates the importance of prioritizing bio-based/recycled materials, circular design, and durability assurance, offering actionable guidance for low-carbon advancement in the footwear industry.