Finding the sweet spot between durability and eco-friendliness has been an ongoing challenge for athletic and rugged footwear brands. Often the materials that are most Green are the least likely to survive a trek up a mountain or extreme weather conditions. But now END (Environmentally Neutral Design) Outdoor is promising a line of eco footwear that’s up to the task. Launching in August, the Oregon-based brand has creative director Andrew Etsy (formerly the global design director of footwear at Nike) at the helm, so we’re expecting some great things. END will be joining existing Green brands like Patagonia in the rugged/outdoor space, which is great news for consumers who’ve been looking for shoes that can handle the great outdoors without ruining it in the manufacturing process. But as green product becomes more commonplace, and consumers become more eco savvy, is it time for industry-wide “nutritional labels” to make the degree of green in a shoe easier to understand?

Think you can’t shop green at the mall? Think again. Sears, the most all-American of department stores, is now selling an eco suit. Made by European brand Bagir, the EcoGir suit features fabric and lining made from 100 percent recycled PET bottles. The suit is no slouch in the style department either. The price? A very reasonable $200. Bagir is also taking a bold step forward and adding a carbon footprint label to their suits to let people know exactly what impact each product has on the environment.

All of this is good news for green brands and retailers — and a challenge, too. With big companies like Sears, Wal-Mart and Target adding green to their mix, independents may find it harder to stay on the cutting edge of green but will likely find broader mainstream acceptance of green product. And for brands, greater demand for green means pricing for eco-friendly materials is likely to become more reasonable as volume comes into play. If you’re a retailer who’s been asking for greener product at better prices, it’s time to bring up the topic with your brands again. After all, if Sears can do it, why can’t you?

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For those of you looking to leap into the green marketplace, you may already have realized that it’s not as easy as simply declaring your store or your products eco-friendly and waiting for the hordes of customers to come stampeding through the door. Recently Treehugger examined the rise and fall of Nau clothing, which recently went out of business.  While the brand certainly got points for a devotion to sustainability, Nau’s lack of focus and ability to differentiate itself from the pack led to its downfall. It may be all too tempting to clamor on the green bandwagon, but it’s wise to remember that consumers are not only comparing you to other green brands, but every other brand as well. Green, unfortunately, is not enough. Smart marketing and pointed messaging are just as important as your eco product. So ask yourself — how are you standing out in the crowd? If all you can say is that you’re the only green company in town, you may be just one hemp T-shirt away from disaster.

You may be most familiar with cork as the material that keeps your favorite bottle of wine fresh, but now it’s making its fashion debut. After helping her father import Danish furniture in the late 1950s, Ingrid Heinkel developed an eye for the unexpected. When she found a wallet made from cork during a trip to Portugal, she made a point to track down the manufacturer. Now the owner and designer of Cork Trends, an accessories line that includes handbags, Heinkel is doing her part to keep America stylish and the planet clean. “The cork of an oak tree is not cut down, but harvested, and it can be reharvested in 9 years,” Heinkel says. “So if a tree is healthy, [this process] can go on for hundreds of years.” Having an eco-friendly line is important to the entrepreneur because “we can’t get away from this planet; we’ve got to get this place cleaned up. [This line] is easy to understand, and when you’re wearing it, it’s a statement that says, ‘I’m getting it, and here I am.’”

Handmade in Portugal, these bags are truly one-of-a-kind. “The line itself is very tailored and classic,” Heinkel says. “I’ll be changing the silhouettes, and different finishes will keep it endless. Each one will have its unique stamp on it.”

Heinkel also produces placemats, wallets, belts, neckties and aprons, all made from cork.

Customers can find the 15 silhouettes ranging from a clutch to a tote bag in upscale boutiques, spas, wineries and wine gift stores nationwide. Cork Trends handbags retail for $80 to $199.

Shoe boxes — for footwear retailers, they’re usually just an eco-unfriendly part of the package that can’t be avoided. But the good news is that many brands are now placing shoes in chic, eco-friendly boxes made from recycled materials — and now, even the box that holds all those cool, ec shoe boxes can leave a lighter carbon footprint.

Salazar Packaging recently launched Globe Guard, a brand of corrugated cardboard boxes made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled content.

According to the Sustainable is Good blog, Salzar Packaging is working with Cano Container Corporation to produce the Globe Guard line of boxes.  Their recycled materials are primarily sourced from local municipal waste, keeping the carbon footprint even lower.

And if you assumed most cardboard boxes are made from recycled material, take note — the vast majority contain 35 percent or less. And, good news for companies feeling the pinch during these tough economic times – Salazar Packaging promises that these boxes will not be sold at a “green premium,” either. We don’t always think about the packaging problem when addressing the issue of greening our businesses, but the good news is that packaging companies are thinking about it — now it’s just up to us to ask the people we do business with to get on board!

A lot of technology companies are promoting eco initiatives these days, but we’ve got to hand it to Dell. The computer powerhouse already has a Plant a Tree Program and runs their headquarters in Austin, Texas with 100 percent renewable energy, but now Dell has made an eco-friendly computer!

The computer is 80 percent smaller than the standard desktop PC and its casing is made of bamboo. Dell CEO Michael Dell revealed at this year’s Fortune Brainstorm Green Conference that the computer also features recycled materials and uses 70 percent less energy than the average computer. The price isn’t bad either, estimated to run between $500 and $700.

We aren’t yet clear on the specs for the computer, so no word on whether a basic POS system might run on it — but for green retailers looking for an eco upgrade, this might be not only an attractive addition to the store but a money-saver as well. The computers are expected to hit stores later this year.

The Natural Products Association has taken an important step forward in making the world a greener place by creating the Natural Standard, a new certification program that awards a seal of approval to personal care products that fit the following guidelines:

While the footwear industry faces a far more complex task when it comes to determining what is and isn’t green (given the hundreds of components that go into a single pair of shoes, not to mention the debate between less green and more durable vs. more green and shorter lived, green is truly viewed in shades of gray when it comes to shoes), isn’t it about time someone came up with some rudimentary guidelines? Given the prevalence of greenwashing in the retail sector, and the frustration and confusion of consumers, it seems that even a few broad strokes and a handy seal of approval would make life much easier for retailers as well as brands. And, while the task will be tricky, if the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification could be agreed on (is any pair of shoes as complex as an entire building?), why haven’t we? What do you think?

You’ve got to hand it to Timberland - not only did the rugged brand launch the Earthkeepers boot collection, a line of waterproof footwear made mostly with organic and recycled materials, last year, the company didn’t stop there when it came to keeping it green.

At the end of the campaign, billboards promoting the collection were taken down and turned into reusable, waterproof toe bags. The bags, which hit Timberland retail stores in April, are not only unique (no two bags are alike) but give consumers a way to pay the green idea forward when used instead of plastic or paper at the grocery store. Now that’s what we call eco ingenuity!

Most people may be new to the eco revolution, but designer Helen E. Riegle of HER Design is a longtime devotee. She’s been creating green handbags since 2004, and her spring/summer ‘08 collection takes eco to a whole new level. Made with natural fibers and sustainable fabrics like organic cotton, hemp and linen, the bags also feature 100% recycled microsuede and PVC-free synthetic leather.

Honesty, pictured here, is no exception to HER’s green theme. Made from cradle to cradle certified wool flannel, it also has vegan leather trim and a recycled PET lining. But eco-friendliness isn’t the bag’s only asset. An adjustable strap allows her to wear it messenger style or on the shoulder, and clever pocketing create space for key clips and media devices. Retails for $210

What could be better than a kid’s shoe that’s easy-on, easy-off? One that’s eco-friendly, too. That’s the idea behind the San Francisco-based brand ScooterBees. Made to fit a variety of widths, ScooterBees are made with 100 percent post-consumer breathable polyester microsuede and are lined with naturally antibacterial bamboo velour. Soles are made from ThermoPlastic Elastomer, a PVC and latex free degradable material. These tiny kicks aren’t just good for the environment but fun, too, with hand-painted artwork applied with non-toxic paint. Retailing for roughly $36 a pair, the shoes come in four sizes to accommodate kids up to 24 months old. What a way to make sure a little one’s first step is headed in the right direction.