SNEAKERS MADE FROM NATURE!
Founded in Wllington, New Zealand in 2020, YY NATION creates what it calls “wonder made wearable”- premium sneakers made from natural, renewable, and recycled materials including pineapple leaves, recycled ocean pastics, algae, hemp, cactus and ethically sourced New Zealand merino wool.
YY NATION places environmental stewardship at the heart of its mission and is proud to be a Zero Caron Certified brand by EkosTM.
BIO-BASED INSOLES
Our insoles are made with bio-based castor oil. This eliminates any need to use popular and harmful petroleum chemicals, used by most other footwear manufacturers. You’ll notice that our insoles are also ridiculously comfortable.
OUTSOLES LIKE NO OTHER
YY Soles are made from nature using natural bio-based materials like Algae or Sugarcane that don’t emit harmful oil based chemicals into the environment like most other shoes.
TREADING LIGHTLY
YY Nation is a Zero Carbon Certified brand by EKOS™, which is a fancy way of saying everything we take out of nature (like all our materials) we put right back, by growing and protecting indigenous forests.
Learn moreRECYCLED PLASTIC LACES…
If there is one thing that’s better than not using plastic, it’s removing it from the environment. Our laces are made from 100% recycled plastic. We plan to make laces that have no plastic content in them, but for now – we’re keeping plastic out of our oceans.
CACTUS COLLECTION
This Cactus leather alternative may fool you. This looks and acts just like genuine leather but is made using Cactus plants without the prickles. Moisture is wicked away providing you with temperature regulating benefits using wood pulp TencelTM for the lining.
BROWSE
WONDERS OF CACTUS & PINEAPPLE LEATHER
A NATURAL ALTERNATIVE
Cactus leather is highly sustainable plant based material offering an alternative to traditional leather, without any toxic chemicals, phthalates and PVC. The result is partially biodegradable and has the technical specifications required by the fashion, leather goods, luxury packaging and furniture industries.
Using pineapple husk waste as leather accents reduces harmful CO2 emissions caused from burning off this waste material, turning waste into wonder.
BROWSE CACTUS STYLESMERINO COLLECTION
Our ultra-fine, super strong Merino wool upper is soft, breathable, temperature-regulating, and moisture-wicking to keep you comfortable all day long.
Enjoy the added benefit of water resistance through our special plant-based coating so you can wear them all year round. Well… maybe not in the snow and slush.
browse MERINO STYLES
Ethically Grown Superfine Merino Wool Upper
Recycled Plastic
Laces
Blown Sugarcane OR Algae Bloom Foam Midsole
Pineapple Leather Accents
Recycled Rubber Outsoles
Castor Oil Foam Insoles
Wonder Made Wearable
NATURAL
YY Nation sneakers are made from nature, like legit.
Natural materials are our key solution to making shoes that are better for the planet.
For context, the majority of the shoe industry makes their shoes from plastic which sheds microplastics into our environment and does not biodegrade at all.
ZERO CARBON
On launching our first collection we discovered that we made the lowest carbon sneaker in the world, but we’re not stopping there.
The 2024/2025 collection significantly reduces our Carbon impact even further.
YY Nation is a Zero Carbon Certified brand by EkosTM.
ULTRA COMFORT
+ PERFORMACNE
For a pair of shoes to be truly comfortable, they’ve got to be the right fit for the wearer, the maker and the planet. When it comes down to it, they also have to be built for purpose, perform like never before and have out-of-this world comfort.
We found out natural is better, combine this with some of the latest material technologies and you get sweat resistant, odor combatting and antibacterial benefits.
HEMP COLLECTION
The Cirrus Hemp Sneaker is made from a blend of Hemp + Tree pulp + fine Wool to make a super soft knitted slip-on sneaker! The hemp-based material is in a cool 3d knit design that outperforms conventional plastic based uppers. The natural properties of Hemp help wick moisture away, while the anti-bacterial properties keep your feet fresh and healthy.
SHOP
5.14KgCO2e per pair!
CIRRUS HEMP SLIP-ON SNEAKERS, LIGHT ON YOUR FEE AND ON THE PLANET!
MENTIONS & TESTIMONIALS
“Hailing from New Zealand, YY Nation offers some of the most sustainable (and stylish) footwear on the market. They’re a Zero Carbon Certified brand, utilizing clever plant-based materials to make their kicks. YY also extends its sustainable practices beyond production, encouraging upcycling and clean waste removal.”
ROLLINGSTONE MAGAZINE
“Every component of the YY NATION footwear collection, from the soles to the laces to the packaging, is made with sustainable, natural, or waste materials that would otherwise be landfill-bound,”
THE MANUAL
Hiking