8000Kicks

8000Kicks is a Portuguese sustainable footwear brand founded in 2019 by Bernardo Carreira and his grandmother, Maria Otilia Carreira. The idea began when Bernardo challenged Otilia, who had more than 50 years of textile experience, to help create durable shoes using industrial hemp. Their early project developed into a family-led hemp shoe company. The 8000Kicks collection includes hemp sneakers for men and women, wide-toe-box shoes, casual footwear, socks, wallets, hats, and backpacks. Its best-known shoes use hemp uppers, hemp insoles, waterproof layers, and lightweight outsoles containing algae-based material. The designs are intended for travel, walking, commuting, and everyday use. Hemp gives the footwear a breathable, flexible, and naturally distinctive texture. The company also positions its shoes as vegan and focuses on reducing reliance on common synthetic or resource-intensive materials. Practical colors and simple sneaker shapes make the range easy to style. For shoppers seeking sustainable hemp shoes or vegan sneakers, 8000Kicks offers an unusual material-led alternative. The brand combines Portuguese textile knowledge, footwear development, and accessible casual design, creating lightweight shoes for customers interested in comfort, versatility, and lower-impact materials.