Earth Day Commute

Earth Day is an opportunity for people to recognize their mindfulness of their own carbon footprint. It’s also a chance to educate those who are largely unaware of their ecological impact and the implications of their choices.

While Birkenstock is a comfort footwear brand we’ve also always been an outspoken advocate of preservation and the three big R words you hear most during Earth Month: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. In an earlier blog post we detailed a few things we’re constantly doing around the office to stay green.

This Earth Day I thought I’d make a sacrifice and share it with you all. I drive to work every day from San Francisco to Novato which is roughly 30 miles, door-to-door. Because there are so few Birkenstock employees who live in San Franicsco (and the ones who do have different schedules) none of us are able to carpool. While my commute is necessary there is no real public transportation from San Francisco to Novato: no BART, no CALTRAIN, no MUNI. There are ways to get to Novato from San Francisco without driving but you’d be using multiple lines and the commute time would go from my usual half-hour drive to upwards of 2 hours.

So, to celebrate, I thought I’d try out a new option. I had a pair of Birkenstock Milano sandals customized by a repair shop into SPD bicycling sandals so that I could ride my bike to work (see photos above). After some thought, and assessment of my physical limitations I found that riding my bike AND taking a ferry would be my best route and would still maintain the goal I set which was simply not to drive.

I set out around 8:30AM and headed straight for the Ferry Building, thinking I was already running late. I had a wonderful ride through Golden Gate Park and my SPD Milanos were working splendidly. I managed to make it to the ferry with enough time to grab a coffee and put my feet up for a quick 35 minute ride to Larkspur.

I was able to hang up my bike on a well-placed rack and sat down to have a look at the directions I’d printed from Google’s new bicycling routes only to discover that I’d forgotten them at home!

Thankfully just as we neared San Quentin and the dock in Larkspur I realized that I could probably manage to find my way into work using the maps on my iPhone.

I got off the ferry and figured out my route within minutes. Taking off from Larkspur I stopped to talk to a group of school kids and parents who were waiting for the ferry in the other direction, they kindly thanked me for riding choosing alternative means of transportation on Earth Day. Seemed they were headed into the city for some Earth Day celebrating themselves. Here’s a quick photo of my view on the bike and a neat statue on the road leading past San Quentin.

The maps on my phone proved to be the perfect guide and I slowly made my way towards Novato. Stopping every once in a while for water and to shed some layers (ok and also to rest because HILLS).

All-in-all I had a lovely ride through Marin’s back roads. I made my way into work roughly 3 hours after leaving home and I was feeling great. I tallied up a total distance of 17.7 miles on the bike that day and 10-12 miles on the ferry is my estimation. If I had the time to make this same commute every single work day I would.

My SPD sandals made the trek to work comfortable and efficient at the same time. They also made for a nice conversation piece with other commuters and bicycle riders along the way.

The day was a success and I feel like I accomplished my goal in style and comfort. Eagerly anticipating something on a grander scale next year!

Tread Lightly,

Aaron