The British footwear brand releases limited edition shoes in partnership with LGBTQIA+ advocacy group, Outright International.
Pride month is the time of year where people, companies, and even buildings erupt in multi-colored hues to show support for the LGBTQIA+ community. For some, it’s a way to capitalize on the gay rights movement without tangibly contributing to it–a practice so common that it has its own name: “rainbow-washing.” Hunter, the British footwear brand known for its rubber Wellington boots, has a different approach. The company has outfitted emblems of Britishness from the country’s troops in the World Wars, to Kate Moss at Glastonbury Festival.
Launched yesterday, on 1st June, Hunter celebrates Pride month with Unisex BLOOMTM Pride Clogs. 100% of the profits will be donated to its charity partner, Outright International. Outright is a LGBTQIA+ advocacy group that works with groups around the world to strengthen the human rights of queer people. It partners with regional human rights bodies, and the philanthropic and corporate sectors, and also serves as the secretariat of the United Nations’ LGBTI Core Group.
Its reach is intercontinental. Outright has worked in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa to document and fight conversion therapy. It has an extensive program in Iran, producing resources in Farsi to combat homophobia in the media. In the Caribbean, Outright supported the organization of the region’s first transgender network. Most of their work in Europe involves emergency responses to violence, harassment, and discrimination.
Hunter has been partnering with Outright International since 2020. Then, in 2021, it launched its Hunter Protect initiative, making the commitment that by 2025, 100% of its rubber footwear will be made with Forest Stewardship Council-certified® natural rubber. For its 2022 collections, Hunter incorporated FSC®-certified rubber, BLOOM foam, or recycled textiles in 68% of its products. BLOOMTM is a line of footwear made in part from algae, “helping to clean water, clean the air of CO2 and reduce the reliance on harmful chemicals like petroleum,” states their press release.
“Since its founding in Scotland more than 160 years ago, Hunter has always created purposeful products for the world outside… Protection is at the heart of our brand. We are committed to responsibly producing products that perform well, look good and endure,” it continues, a commitment which extends to the clogs splashed with the colors of the Progress Pride Flag.
Images courtesy of Hunter.
