The waste that comes from making, selling and eventually discarding clothing is top of mind for many in the industry today, but parents Jesse and Megan Milliken have a special connection to it as parents of three young children.
They always have been concerned about their impact on the environment, and saw the shoes their kids so quickly grew out of as a large culprit. It wasn’t until the fires in Central Oregon in 2020, though, that the 15-year Nike footwear veteran and former environmental consultant decided they had to do more to preserve their kids’ future.
“It was terrifying, you couldn't see in front of you and you could just see the damage that the fire was causing. So we decided to do something about it,” Megan said of experiencing the fire and the environmental impacts that helped fuel it.
The couple launched Woolybubs, their sustainable baby shoe brand, in January 2021, and went to market in April. The goal of Woolybubs is to create shoes that impact the planet less than traditional baby shoes while also allowing kids to roam the earth with ease.
Using the same material that encloses detergent in washer pods, the Millikens were able to knit a shoe that ultimately dissolves in boiling water. The two called this first shoe the Newbie, and it comes in four different colors for babies’ little feet up to a year old. Along with having a fully biodegradable shoe, Woolybubs offers a return program where they will compost, recycle or dissolve the shoes for customers.
Fully funded by the couple, Woolybubs was part of the 2022 Built Oregon Accelerator program. Jesse said this experience taught them both endless amounts of information, but mostly about the power of marketing, community and centering the customer.
As a young company started by two people with zero startup experience, Jesse said relying on Portland’s vast footwear and apparel industry has been a must.
“At its simplest, the community-based approach that is built (through the accelerator program), and the recognition that we have makers here and that is what we can be famous for in Oregon, makes it all the more worthwhile to be a part of,” Jesse said. “I had no idea how broad and deep (the business network in Portland) is … like, high tides raise all boats.”
Since the Newbie, Woolybubs has launched two other shoes: the namesake Woolybub and Toddle. The Woolybub uses a sherpa fleece material to keep baby’s feet warm in the cold Portland winters, and the Toddle is an extension of the Newbie for toddlers.
While neither of the two newest models are biodegradable, they are made from 100% recycled materials, fully recyclable and also able to be sent back to the company to be properly discarded. Portland’s footwear and apparel industry has been booming with sustainable companies lately, such as activewear brand Äktiiv and streetwear brand Unless Collective.
Sales have been incrementally growing for Woolybubs, and at the beginning of 2023 the brand will be in its first department store, along with the 25 brick and mortar baby boutiques it is already in.
Looking forward, Jesse said they want Woolybubs to grow with them and their kids, eventually releasing more sustainable children-focused products to reach more families.
“The world of DTC is far more competitive, or more noisy if you will, so that's certainly harder, but we are seeing wins,” Jesse said. “I think when you marry something the proposition that we have, which is cute, stylish, functional baby shoes that happen to be better for the planet, you do show that you can win.”
