TIDAL New York Case Study

Not Your Everyday Fashion Brand

“Becoming a B Corp has been a dream of ours since starting the company, and it frankly seemed daunting. Working with IGP showed us that we were much better positioned for it than we thought — Rebecca and Kerrie were super organized and kept us on task the whole way. Thank you IGP for your stewardship through the B Impact Assessment process, we couldn’t have done it without you!”
Tidal New York flip flops

ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CORE TO TIDAL’S MISSION. SINCE THEIR DEBUT IN 2014, TIDAL HAS CREATED PRODUCTS THEY FELT WOULD BUILD TRUST AND ACCOUNTABILITY WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS, WHILE REDUCING THEIR IMPACT ON THE PLANET.

GETTING B CORP CERTIFIED WAS AN IMPORTANT CONFIRMATION OF THIS WORK, AND A STEP ALONG THEIR JOURNEY, NOT THE FINAL STEP.  

OVERVIEW

TIDAL New York was created to reinvent US manufacturing, and they’ve started by manufacturing and selling flip flops. Every business decision they make has, at its core, a commitment to their workers, the environment, and the community. Here are a few things that make TIDAL revolutionary:

  • All manufacturing is based in NY state

  • All suppliers are based in the US

  • Company ownership is local to manufacturing and workers

  • Bio-based and long-lasting flip flops

  • Low-waste manufacturing process

TIDAL NY wants to lead by example when it comes to being an ethical business. They are engaged with a number of 3rd party certifiers and partners who verify their impact. To ensure that their charitable activity is directed to high-performing environmental organizations, for example, TIDAL NY is a 1% for the Planet member. Their giving extends to Surfrider Foundation and Soles 4 Souls. In 2021 Tidal NY had their soles verified as USDA Biopreferred certified products and became B-Corp certified. 

B CORP CERTIFICATION

In February 2021 TIDAL NY succeeded in becoming the first US footwear manufacturer to achieve B Corp certification. And, in true TIDAL NY style, the company far exceeded the minimum acceptable score for certification, becoming the highest scoring footwear brand in the fashion industry worldwide. 

TIDAL NY was already a leader in social and environmental impact when they embarked on their B Corp certification journey. Their commitment to being a leader in responsible business and honoring the B Corp standards resulted in additional significant improvements to TIDAL NY’s social and environmental impact. 

Here are some of the highlights:

  • TIDAL NY became legally responsible to honor all stakeholders, not just shareholders in decision-making. 

  • Formalized the company’s military veteran hiring program.

  • Increased wages to ensure all workers are paid the equivalent of a living wage for a family in their respective counties, and 65% over the minimum wage.

  • Wrote and published its first materiality assessment and impact report (read it here: https://www.tidalnewyork.com/pages/impact-certifications-b-corp-biopreferred)

  • Increased charitable giving to 2% of total revenue and increased paid volunteer time for all employees to 12 hours/year, while formalizing this commitment for the future.