Not Your Typical Sneaker Drop: Shoe Brand Calls Out Fashion’s Bad Practices

German footwear brand Ekn flips the script on exploitative manufacturing

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Fashion brands often try to build hype with product drops–but not for a reason like this. German sneaker label Ekn has released a new shoe that calls attention to the fashion industry’s exploitative business practices. 

The sneaker, named Kamthala, flips the script on a common model whereby some fashion companies design products in the Global North and manufacture them in the Global South–often to the detriment of the environment or workers. 

Instead, Kamthala was designed in Bangladesh by up-and-coming female designer Rokaiya Ahmed Purna and manufactured in Portugal.

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