Matthieu and Chris (both 24) met at the Brussels business school ICHEC. With a shared passion for solidarity and respect for the environment they came up with an idea for ‘intelligent consumption’: making people want to buy a product because of its looks and its sustainability. All they needed was a designer to turn their conception into reality.

With the help of Joachim de Callatay (2005 graduate of Brussels Fashion Academy La Cambre) the Jojo shoe was born: a canvas trainer with a simple design but a rather grand mission. On the back of every shoe you’ll find a blue or a green mark. Buying a pair with a green mark equals supporting the plantation of a new tree in the Jojo Forest in Dosso, Niger. A blue mark guarantees a full year of drinking water for one person in Africa. Both projects are part of the ‘Millenium Project’ by the United Nations.

Choose, act and check

Jojos (also the designer’s nickname) are made from organic cotton in a factory in Brazil where labourers work in humane conditions. The shoes have the same design for men and women and come in a wide range of colours.

Once you’ve chosen your colour, you need to decide which good cause you’re supporting. If you want to check up on how the tree planting or drinking water projects are doing, visit the Jojo website.

Launched in June, about a thousand pairs of shoes have been sold so far. The Jojo project almost seems too good to be true - so if we must make some criticism, it would be that Jojos are not the most feminine or elegant shoe for those with small feet.

Jojos are available in a few shops in and outside Brussels, and also via the website www.jojoproject.com