PLANET, PEOPLE, AND PRODUCT
Responsible Practices
PLANET, PEOPLE, AND PRODUCT
Responsible Practices
Our Stance On Responsibility
FRANKIE4 exists to support the wellbeing of women worldwide. We’re on a journey to create styles that maximise comfort and positively support the communities in which we operate, whilst taking steps to minimise our impact on the planet.
It’s important to note that the fashion industry runs on consumption and newness. For this reason, we don’t call ourselves a sustainable brand. Instead, we are on a journey towards taking responsibility for our global footprint and engaging in responsible business practices.
Read on to learn more about our existing practices, and the steps we’re taking to become a more responsible version of ourselves.
Our Responsible Practices
FRANKIE4 x TREADLIGHTLY
Giving Old Shoes New Life
Every year, Australia imports over 25 million sports shoes – and only an estimated 1% are recycled. And that doesn’t include the flats, sandals, slides, and heels we love to wear too.
In our commitment to keep shoes out of landfill for good, we’ve partnered with TreadLightly – a national recycling initiative. Simply drop your pre-loved shoes and footbeds (from any brand) into our designated bins in-store and they’ll be recycled responsibly within Australia. Please see our recycling page for guidelines on what shoes you can recycle with us.
Eligible shoes are downcycled and given new life as springy mats for playgrounds and gyms. Together, we’ve diverted almost 20,000 pairs of shoes from landfill. And we’re just getting started.
Projects In-Flight
CALCULATING FY24 EMISSIONS
We’re completing our FY24 Greenhouse Gas Assessment (GHG) with trusted carbon accounting platform Plan A. This builds on our FY22 and FY23 GHGs, and allows us to best understand where to focus efforts in reducing emissions.
ENGAGEMENT & DIVERSITY
Responsible practices include our people. We measure the engagement and diversity of our global team annually and compare results to industry benchmarks. We’re currently working through FY24 results and will set FY25 goals as we grow worldwide.
MAPPING OUR SUPPLIERS
Mapping our suppliers is key to being a transparent brand. As part of our Leather Working Group membership, we have access to reporting from tanneries we work with. We’re also documenting Tier 2 and 3 suppliers across other textiles, trims, and components used in our styles.
Your Questions, Our Answers
Where are FRANKIE4 shoes made?
FRANKIE4 shoes are made in Vietnam and Brazil with highly regarded factories that have been making quality footwear for decades. All styles are designed and tested in-house by our all-female Product Design team, with external studies conducted with Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
Are audits conducted at your factory?
Our suppliers conduct annual SMETA audits with Sedex. SMETA audits assess labour standards, health and safety, business ethics, and some environmental practices. Over 74,000 companies around the world partner with Sedex to assess their supply chains.
What policies guide your conduct?
Internally, our FRANKIE4 Code of Ethics guides all decision making and is supported by our Anti-Bribery and Corruption policy and Whistleblower policy. Our Suppliers must act in accordance with the Supplier Code of Conduct in line with numerous international standards.
Wellness
Taking wellness to the next level with award-winning design, centred on our podiatrist founded history.
Responsible Design
For over a decade, responsible and innovative design has been at the core of all we do.
Giving Back
We are proud of our global charity partners who work tirelessly for families in their time of need.
Community
Empowering women from the ground up with style created by women, for women.