From modest Croatian surroundings to a global presence. A path that only a few have taken, and among them are two Croatian companies – Sofascore and Earthbound.
Sofascore was founded by Ivan Bešlić and Zlatko Hrkać, friends from a small place near Zagreb – Klinča Sela, and the sports platform for advanced sports statistics has grown to a global leader with 28 million monthly users and is available all over the world.
Earthbound is a company that produces the most ecological sneakers in the world, made of 97 percent natural materials. It also has a global presence on all continents. Earthbound was founded by brothers Domagoj and Hrvoje Boljar from the area around Duga Resa, little further from Zagreb than Ivan’s and Zlatko home place.
These two Croatian companies started a partnership, and thus, for the second time in the last two years, Sofascore chose Earthbound footwear for all its employees, more than 300 of them. It is a unique design that includes the elements and color of Sofascore and it was a collaboration of design teams from both companies. And while the previous version of the unique Sofascore tennis shoes was dominated by gray, this year’s version is dominated by black and blue. Those models of sneakers will not be on sale to the public but will remain exclusive to Sofascore employees.
Earthbound are the only sneakers in the world that have the prestigious OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certificate. Hemp, linen, cork, wood, corn, natural wool and other similar materials are used in production, and all suppliers of materials are from the European Union. At the global level, they have a high environmental rating, and all decisions about the final product go through a rigorous environmental filter.
Ivan Bešlić, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Sofascore, said about this partnership: ‘’In this way, Sofascore supported the fight against negative climate change, because plastic and leather are mostly used in the standard production of footwear, and such waste is difficult to recycle. Earthbound turned to completely ecological production, which Sofascore recognized as a socially responsible step and once again joined in spreading awareness for the ecological well-being of the planet.’’
