Welcome to commonsoles™!
We are more than just a quality flip-flop company. Our philosophy is look good • do good™. We aim to make great footwear, while making the World a better place. How do we hope to do this? We donate a schoolbook to a child in need for every pair of flip-flops we sell. In addition, we aim to do right by our planet and by the people who help us bring our sandals to you. Because of this, we look at every component of our business and continually ask, “What can we do to work in greater concert with the environment and to impact the communities that help us make and distribute our products?” We believe it’s more than just the right thing to do . . . it is good business strategy.
Why schoolbooks?
· Great need. Keeping curriculums up to date with current textbooks is a challenge for schools everywhere. It is expensive and often underfunded.
· Big Bang for the buck. We believe that improving education is the single greatest ingredient in breaking cycles of poverty, creating equality, and building hope. We want to open the future for children by putting schoolbooks in their hands today.
· Scale. Our vision is to make a big impact by making a million little impacts. Supplying schoolbooks allows us to generate economies of scale and, therefore, reach more people.
· Customer Satisfaction. We believe it is a more rewarding shopping experience when the customer feels that their actions will have a direct impact on a child’s education.
Where do we give back?
We start by making unique footwear in areas of the World that can use a little help. To date, we have focused our manufacturing and giving back in rural areas of India (check out our current initiatives), but we are always looking for new opportunities. We are currently working with local manufacturers and suppliers, and hope to introduce a locally made commonsoles™ flip-flop, as well as slippers and other colder weather products, in the very near future. We are perpetually searching for great footwear and educational needs.
How does our footwear reflect local culture?
We enjoy products that are authentic. We want to make sure that each of our products is special, and made from materials that capture the flavour of local cultures and traditions. We want our customers to have unique and stylish products that reflect the region in which they were made.
FAQs
Commonsoles is not a charity, Commonsoles is a for-profit business dedicated to building awareness and providing support for individuals from regions of the world that are known for manufacturing. Often, these individuals do not receive the benefits that exist further up the supply chain of global brands. Commonsoles addresses this by selling footwear made by these workers to support initiatives that give back to these communities.
Commonsoles is owned and operated by Chuck and Kerry Rubin. We are located on the South Shore of Massachusetts and are supported by local and international businesses who believe in our mission. The people in the field who administer our community initiatives are our most valued team members. We succeed only because of their dedication and hard work (and your support too, of course).
We source our flip flops from factories across the globe. Most come from our facility in India, the location of our initial community initiative. We carefully screen all factories to ensure fair labor practices, quality materials and construction techniques, and that eco-conscious practices are in place.
Yes! Email us at hello@commonsoles.com and tell us about the initiative and why we should get involved. Be sure to include your name, email address, and phone number with each submission.
Commonsoles footwear runs a touch small so please size up whenever in doubt. For half sizes please size up. Most importantly do not let sizing get in the way of you enjoying a pair of Commonsoles flip-flops. We offer free returns and exchanges.
We created this handy size finder chart for the Saahi model. Click on it to open the .pdf file.
Visit our Contact Us page for all the details. We like hearing from you.
