Shoes are not just an item of clothing; they are our main form of transportation. In this episode, Gretchen and Waneta welcome Dr. Yuly Fuentes, Project Manager for Fiber Technologies at MIT and Program Director of the MIT Climate Project, to talk about shoes and sustainability. Did you know that over 23 billion pairs of shoes are produced annually across the globe? Or that Massachusetts has long been a nexus for the global shoe industry?  Dr. Fuentes takes us through her work addressing the sustainability issues caused by shoe manufacture and disposal. Her initiatives include The Footwear Collective, a group of leading footwear brands that collaborates to develop circular solutions for the footwear industry, and DESCIENCE, a collaboration between fashion designers and scientists. Listen to learn more about how Dr. Fuentes is working to reduce the environmental footprint of the global shoe industry.

Thank you to Reworld and Cell Phones for Soldiers for sponsoring this episode.