By James Leyba ‘24
April 22nd, 1970, marked the first Earth Day celebrated in the USA. It was created by former Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson and activist Dennis Hayes to raise awareness of the declining state of the world’s environment. Starting humbling at a small college, Senator Nelson soon created a committee of 85 people to spread and nationalize the celebration of Earth Day; and in a brilliant stroke of marketing, the first Earth Day coincided with the release of Kalso’s Earth Shoes.
Anna Kalso, a yoga instructor and shoemaker, created Earth Shoes and released them on April 1st, 1970, three weeks before the first official Earth Day. Although the likelihood of the shoes being directly related to the first Earth Day seems farfetched, the day influenced the shoe’s popularity. Trapezoidal and blocky, the Earth Shoe was constructed to mimic that of a human foot. Based on a footprint in the sand, Kalso noticed how the heel left a deeper imprint than the rest of the foot. This observation led to the Earth Shoe’s definitive feature, the “negative heel.” This heel was thinner than the rest of the shoe sole, to improve the wearer’s posture and overall health.
Even though the claims of health benefits are sketchy or even with the shoe itself being frequently described as “ugly” and “hideous,” they became extremely popular. The shoes were in high demand; stores could barely keep them on shelves. Kirk Leyba, a high school student at the time of the shoe’s release, recalls that “at one point the popularity of Earth Shoes rivaled that of sneakers.” The Kalso Earth Shoe, as they are sometimes called, became a staple in many closets during the early 70s, largely due to its connection with the first Earth Day.
Many assumed that Kalso Earth Shoes were related, as they were released right around the same time as the first Earth Day caused many unaware people to think they were connected. Many kids first heard about these shoes in the classroom, where their teachers included the shoes in their Earth Day presentations.
The Earth Shoe has gone down in history as an oddity. It became so fashionable, although continuously characterized as ugly, all because they were released at the right time. Although perhaps at the time the Kalso Earth Shoes overshadowed the Earth Day celebrations, now that is not the case.
We often neglect the Earth. From the rise of deforestation to the polluted streams and rivers in the Delmarva peninsula, we collectively need to do better; Earth Day is a good reminder of that. Still, we should not only care for one day a year. We need to continuously care for the Earth year-round. Do your part in conserving our world, as, unlike the Earth Shoes, it is undoubtedly beautiful, and we cannot live without it.