In this episode, we’re stepping into the world of shoes. But first—what if we didn’t wear them at all? Walking barefoot: more natural, cheaper, and maybe even healthier. Still, for most of us, shoes are a daily essential. So what are they really doing to our bodies? From high heels to running shoes to flip-flops, we break down the health impacts of what we put on our feet.

Then there’s the environmental side. We buy a lot of shoes—and all those plastics, dyes, and synthetic materials add up fast, leaving a much bigger footprint than we might think.

But it’s not all bad news. A wave of innovative, sustainable brands is changing the game—rethinking how shoes are made, from safer materials to better working conditions. We’ll explore alternatives like cotton, bamboo, cork, natural foams, and more—solutions that are easier on the planet, kinder to workers, and that don’t rely on animal exploitation.

Because in the end, the choice is yours: what kind of footprint do you want to leave behind?

References:

Shoe consumption per age https://www.restonyc.com/what-age-buys-the-most-shoes/

Bare feet, minimal footwear and conventional footwear health impacts https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11899058/

Effects of footwear on biomechanics of the body https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025012514

The effects of grounding, walking barefoot https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4378297/

Hill shoes health issues https://footwearmagazine.com/cleveland-clinic-high-heels-foot-problems/

Flip flops health isuues https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5862437/

CO2eq emissions per product https://www.co2everything.com/a-z

CO2 emissions of shoes production https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/14/6094

Environmental impacts of shoes https://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/49925/20220315/the-impact-of-the-shoe-industry-on-the-environment.htm

Kangoroos killed for leather for shoes The Truth About Leather & How it is Made | Animals Australia

Nine major athletic brands end kangaroo leather use in historic win

Eco friendly solutions

Materials : 10 Eco-Friendly Materials Used In The Making Of Sustainable Shoes | GreenSmartEco.com

Brands: 15 Best Sustainable Shoe Brands For 2026 - The Good Trade

Rain boots : 9 Sustainable Rain Boots For Naturally Green Puddle Play

In this episode, The Choice is Yours team looks into seeds. As a consumer, a gardener, which seeds should I plant ? F1, hybrid, heirloom, home made, GMO? How our gardens can help protect biodiversity? What is the Seed banks' work? Is Seed Savers Exchange a good option ? What is Bill Gtes doing with seeds in Africa? How bad are the seeds from the supermarket? All that and more.

References :

About Eating to Extinction: The World’s Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them, by Dan Saladino. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/apr/17/dan-saladino-food-diversity

The productivism point of view https://betternutritionnews.com/can-people-eat-more-today-than-20-years-ago/

Key messages from FAO’s International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/42209587-33f1-4546-9f56-35947af496b8/content

English Royal Botanic Garden and seed bank podcast https://www.kew.org/about-us/virtual-kew-wakehurst/unearthed-kew-podcast

About Bill Gates continuing the GMO crusade in Africa

https://www.thenation.com/article/world/new-colonialist-food-economy/

https://mg.co.za/africa/2024-09-03-bill-gates-plays-god-in-africas-agriculture-and-gets-it-wrong/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinero/2024/09/02/why-african-groups-want-reparations-from-the-gates-foundation/

Here is a clip of Vandana Shiva talking about Bill Gates and his role in seed banks : https://www.instagram.com/reels/DU19gQ1FULO/

Article by Vandana Shiva https://navdanyainternational.org/one-empire-over-seed-control-over-the-worlds-seed-banks/

A healthy microbiome comes with diversity https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4837298/

About GMO https://www.nongmoproject.org,

cornell.edu

healthline.com

Iamcountryside.com

rivieraproduce.com

In this episode, we trace how coffee fueled the rise of industrialization and capitalism — keeping factories running and workers awake — before diving deep into the world of modern coffee shops.

From cozy local cafés to global corporate chains, we unpack what’s really brewing behind the counter: union battles and worker strikes, slavery investigations in supply chains, the staggering amounts of added sugar in popular drinks, and even the pesticides found in certain blends.

All that, and more, in your daily cup.