BAREFOOT: Handmade Eco-Friendly Plush Animals
by Jennifer Chait, 01/10/09
Barefoot toys are unique, brightly colored, organic toys that will delight any child. These adorable soft eco toys are filled with character and vibrancy, and they’re sure to pique a child’s curiosity and make her want to learn more about the animal kingdom. Above is the Rainbow Caterpillar who comes with 16 detachable donut rings perfectly sized for small hands.
All materials used by Barefoot are handmade, child-safe, and eco-friendly. The yarn used by Barefoot is created with 100% handwoven cotton fibers that have been hand dyed using Swiss colorfast ecological, non-toxic pigments. Each Barefoot plush animal is stuffed with kapok, a natural, non-synthetic plant fiber. Barefoot is also a Fair Trade company.
Barefoot animals can be tricky to find in the U.S. Your best bet is to visit Organic By Nature, a Canadian company. Organic By Nature carries a large selection of Barefoot animals.
Australian residents have many shopping choices (Barefoot seems to be all the rage in Australia). You can visit Puddle Beach for a huge selection of Barefoot toys or Barefoot Australia. Prices vary at the different shops, but overall, Barefoot toys cost less than most typical green stuffed toys you see.
OH also, I think that comments like this are important for companies to hear. If people send these thoughts to the company, who knows, maybe they’ll incorporate organic along with the other methods.
These are very cute, but nowhere on the company’s site or Organic By Nature does it say they are organic, just 100% cotton & fair trade. It’s rare to find an organic toy as colorful as these, so it would be nice to know if this is an error in the description or in fact true. If the makers site doesn’t say, it usually means it is not.