Here at The Coolector, we’re perpetually on the hunt for gear that hits the trifecta: aesthetically awesome, built to last, and crafted with a conscience. It’s a tall order, but that’s exactly what’s landed on our desk with the new VEJA + Finisterre Fitz Roy Trail Shoe.

This isn’t just another brand-slap collaboration; it’s a genuine meeting of two B Corp powerhouses. On one side, you have VEJA, the Parisian pioneers who, for two decades, have been proving their ‘soil to sustainable sneaker’ model isn’t just possible, but essential.

On the other, you have Finisterre, the UK’s own coastal outfitters, whose entire DNA is infused with a deep, tangible understanding of life lived by the sea. When these two get together to make a trail shoe, you sit up and pay attention.

What they’ve created is a full custom Finisterre update of VEJA’s already formidable Fitz Roy silhouette, and it’s a thing of beauty. Presented in a stealthy, earthy combination of basalte brown and almond brown, this is a unisex shoe that looks just as good on a city commute as it does cresting a muddy coastal path. But make no mistake, this is a technical beast.

VEJA’s footwear expertise shines through in the shoe’s adventure-ready construction. The outer is made from a tightly woven, highly-resistant Trek-Shell, a material derived from recycled polyester that’s inspired by high-performance outdoor fabrics.

This gives the shoe reinforced structure and flexibility, but crucially, it’s also been treated with a PFAS-free water repellent finish, making it ideal for shrugging off a surprise downpour. It’s the perfect marriage of VEJA’s tech and Finisterre’s rugged, coastal-ready mindset.

But a trail shoe is only as good as its grip, and the Fitz Roy is not messing around. It’s built on an all-terrain tread with beefy, multidirectional lugs and a rock-plate to provide extra protection when the terrain gets tough.

And, in true VEJA fashion, the soles aren’t just any rubber; they’re made from natural rubber sourced directly from Amazonian farmers. For £170, you’re not just buying a shoe; you’re buying into a supply chain that’s as rugged and considered as the product itself.

One crucial piece of advice from the brands themselves: this product runs small, so they strongly recommend going one size up from your usual for the best fit. You’ve been warned.

We’re talking over 4,000 tons of Amazonian rubber and 1,600 tons of organic cotton later, and they’ve proven everyone spectacularly wrong. This is a company built on personal relationships and trust, one that pays three and a half times the market rate for its wild rubber and organic cotton, with 50% paid upfront to producers. It’s a radically transparent system that creates a lasting positive impact for both people and the planet.

The creation of the VEJA + Finisterre Fitz Roy Trail Shoe is, as the brands put it, a ‘blueprint’ for how products should be made. It’s a walking, hiking, adventure-ready testament to the idea that you can create a high-performance, technically advanced piece of gear responsibly, transparently, and ethically.

It proves that empowering every single person in the supply chain, from the jungles of the Amazon to the design studio in Paris, isn’t just some fluffy ‘nice to have’—it’s the very foundation for making gear that is genuinely built to last.

This collaboration isn’t just cool; it’s important. And in our book, that makes it the ultimate must-have for the season.