One year on: Sokito’s first orbit around the sun

Well, we did it. We survived our first year. Launching on the hottest day of the year in 2022 was certainly an interesting start. Our founder actually had to change his t-shirt 3 times that day thanks to the heat. Plus the ice sculpture, which was supposed to represent the slow melting of the ice caps, disappeared in about 5 minutes. But no one said that these things were supposed to go smoothly.

Putting the rocky start to the side, it’s been a massive year. From our recycling scheme that won the GBA’s Recycle Scheme of the year, to being backed by 16 professional footballers, and the first company in the world to offset the carbon of an international transfer. It’s not been a quiet one. And that’s before we even talk about the boots.

With so much going on, we thought it would be the perfect time to go back to the source. So we spoke to our founder, Jake Hardy, about his best and worst moments from the year, the biggest challenges when trying to be eco-friendly, and his advice for brands that want to try and include more sustainable practices in their business.

Q. Can you sum up Sokito in 30 seconds or less?

A. Sokito are a sustainable football brand that make (at the moment) a range of sustainable football boots from eco-friendly materials, bio-based, recycled or sustainably sourced. We’re also the first company in the world that can recycle football boots. Everything we’re doing is aiming to harness football’s huge power to mobilise communities.

Q. Has it been smooth sailing from launch day?

A. Absolutely not. We’ve had product issues, supply issues, customer issues, people issues, fundraising issues. Think about an issue, and we’ve had it. But if you start a business, that’s one of the things you have to love: overcoming those issues.

The launch period itself was super tough. I started the business around 4 years ago and that period was, without a doubt, the most difficult time. To tell the truth, we were very close to calling it right after the launch. There were so many problems with the product that we had to sort, and it was just a f*cking nightmare. But we made it through.

Q. Most difficult part about being sustainable?

A. Without a doubt, everyone else’s comments about your company. What I mean by that is: sustainability as a whole is this thing where if you try and do it, and try and care, and make an effort, people will call you out for not doing it perfectly. We’re trying a lot of things, but there are also things we’re probably still doing wrong, we just don’t know. We’re trying to learn, and we want others to learn with us.

Until 2 months ago, we banked with Barclays, then during Wimbledon they were exposed as one of the biggest investors into fossil fuels. F*cking hell. What a lightbulb moment. Of course we changed banks immediately, but you can’t know everything straight away. People in this industry aren’t as encouraging as they should be, which is something I’m really keen for us to do. To help everyone grow and understand together, rather than sitting on our high horse telling other people they’re not doing good enough.

Q. Top piece of advice for other brands who want to be more eco-friendly?

A. Ask questions. There’s a lot of technology out there, for product-based businesses or otherwise, and I think if you take a hard look at what things are usually made out of, or the way they are usually produced, you should be asking ‘why’? And, what can be changed for the better? If you take a look at your supply chain, that’s an easy place to start.

Q. What are you looking forward to most over the next year?

A. Getting Sokito in front of more people! We’re partnering with some big names in Europe and Asia over the next 12 months, to coincide with some new products we’re releasing, so that’s something I’m really excited about.

Q. What’s something you wish everyone knew about Sokito?

A. I wish everyone knew that we actually give a sh*t. There’s a lot of people in sustainability, or certain areas of social causes, that don’t care. Or they’re in it for all the wrong reasons. They think it’s ‘glamorous’ or that it will make them more famous. That’s not us. We are entirely genuine about changing the football industry, and the biggest thing that inspires me is helping to educate.

A lot of people in sustainability would look at us and say ‘you’re not doing anything at all’ or ’you need to be bolder and louder’. And yes, we’re never going to be hardcore activists. But, we can harness a f*cking enormous group of people just via a really nice message and product, and that’s their stepping stone to understanding climate change. 8% of football fans don’t even know what single use plastic is (according to Birmingham FA) - we can tell them that there is a problem, firstly, then help them learn about it.

Harnessing that community, the way that various other causes have done, is how I think Sokito can help change the world.

Q. What is a brand that inspires you?

A. Probably Patagonia. I think handing over the company at a certain point to try and benefit the planet is amazing. The way they offer (unlimited) repair schemes with their clothes is amazing - anything we can do to keep products in use is so important. They have limited products going into the market as well to reduce overconsumption, which is the biggest problem we have on Earth.

Q. Your favourite colourway?

A. Just white and white/black are my top choices.

Q. And finally, best and worst thing about starting your own business

A. Worst thing: It’s just well hard. Stressful, lack of support, can be lonely. You feel a lot of responsibility over people that you work with.

Best thing: Not being forced to follow any big corporate structure where the only thing people care about is profit. You can decide how things get done, who you work with and what the most important things are in your business.

So that’s Sokito. Not perfect in any way, but trying our best. Something we’re trying to emulate in every corner of the business. We want to change the football industry from the inside and, though we’ve started with football boots, we want to expand in all sorts of ways. Events, research, more football products. Using even more bio-based materials. Amplifying the recycling scheme. The possibilities are endless.

But that’s a little way off. Right now, we’re just focusing on making our boots even more eco-friendly. Convincing more footballers and football fans that Sokito is the right choice for people who care about the future of football and the planet. And making sure those big, polluting, mega-corporations know they can’t keep chugging down the same destructive path.

We’ve all got the same aim: making sure this planet is liveable for ourselves. And for future generations. So let’s get to work changing things now.