As in all areas, the point of sustainability and awareness is also increasingly coming into focus in the sneaker scene, and so it is hardly surprising that sneakers are to be produced more regionally again and are also to be made vegan. The vegan sneaker brand has now announced its successful investment round with the support of actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio.

The vegan sneaker brand is the 15-month-old startup that has quickly become the darling of Hollywood celebrities like Olivia Wilde, Mila Kunis and Ben Affleck. It's also no wonder the brand is experiencing such hype as consumers increasingly seek more sustainable and eco-friendly options.

The fact that investors include such a well-known actor as Leonardo DiCaprio is certainly significant for the brand and has an important external impact. Philippe Homsy, Chief Marketing Officer, commented, "The impact that high-profile investors have on a brand is unprecedented in terms of the visibility and associations they convey. Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most high-profile personalities in the world and is committed to protecting the environment. This makes him the perfect partner for a brand as committed to positive impact as we are at LØCI.

To compete and even shake it up a bit in this huge and profitable $70 billion sneaker market is certainly not easy, and even harder for such a young and small company. CEO Emmanuel Eribo explains it this way, "For most consumer brands today, success is measured by sales and popularity. At LØCI, we believe there is a third pillar that is just as important as these two: impact. The greater the impact, the more successful we are. Today, it's important that we do more than just make a fantastic product. We are there to change things. That's why it's always important for us to think differently and go against the grain."

The brand manufactures its entire product line in Europe and sources its material from certified recycled marine plastic. Each pair of the unisex shoes is made from 20 plastic bottles collected from the Mediterranean Sea and Africa's Atlantic coast. Promising to be 100% vegan, the company says it has already reused more than 982,000 bottles that would have otherwise ended up on land or in the ocean. The brand is also conscious of its social responsibility and shares its profits with organizations that support wildlife, such as SEE Turtles. 10% of the proceeds are donated to protect the planet. This shows how much they actually live their values.

In this way, the brand seems to not only be "greenwashing" but actually living and committing to sustainability.