Recycled shoes used to be hard to find--a rarity in a sea of footwear styles. But the recent sustainable fashion trends have driven up demand. Now, designers are fighting for the top spot in the recycled shoe rankings. Here are 4 designs consumers love (and the planet loves, too!) Vivobarefoot: Recycled Plastic Bottles It’s estimated that by the year 2050, oceans will contain more plastic than they do fish. With this sobering thought in mind, Vivobarefoot designed a shoe that will use 17 recycled water bottles each. This shoe, the brand claims, will actually be better for your foot than the average athletic shoe. “By cramming [your foot] into a modern shoe, you negate its natural function,” Vivobarefoot claims. The brand instead focuses on releasing your foot from unnecessary padding. The Primus Swimrun Boot has drainage areas to minimize water weight and an extra-sticky Soft Ground sole for traction on a variety of surfaces. But Vicobarefoot’s PET line doesn’t just boast water-ready footwear, but sports shoes, trail shoes, and streetwear as well. The shoe line is Vivobarefoot’s way of showing their true colors. They claim to be working on other creative solutions to the problem of fashion sustainability and will release more material innovations in the future.
VEJA: Upcycled Corn Veja is taking the search for a leather alternative to new heights. Vegan shoppers worldwide are looking to mesh their eating habits with their shopping habits, and the quest for a sustainable leather alternative is on. Unfortunately, many leather substitutes are plastic-based, making their composition overwhelmed by petroleum. Instead of petroleum, Veja found a more sustainable option out in the fields. The research took upwards of 5 years, but they finally landed on CWL, a vegan and bio-sourced material that can be used easily as an alternative to leather. CWL is a smooth material made out of corn waste. It was initially developed by an Italian company. The material is biodegradable, and it has encouraged Veja, as well as others, to leave leather in the past. The Campo White Pierre Nautico is one of Veja’s vegan styles. It utilizes CWL in the upper shoe construction, as well as a jersey lining made of recycled polyester. The result is a gorgeous shoe that you would never suspect was a vegan, leather substitute. But once consumers know, they love it even more.
Indosole: Recycled Tires Another source of overwhelming and avoidable waste is discarded tires. Billions of used tires are thrown away every year, and the rubber pollutes waterways and inhibits other natural habitats as well. Kyle Parsons, surfer extraordinaire, invented Indosole, and came up with a perfect way to repurpose these old tires. Since it’s nearly impossible for tires to naturally decompose, they make fantastically durable treads for shoes. To do this, the company intercepts tire before they make it into the landfill, and they remove the tire sidewall by hand. From there, the material is cut into the shape of shoe soles, and attached to the naturally-based uppers of the shoes. Indosole uses organic canvas, banana leaves, and grass to make their recycled-soled shoes even more sustainable. The Indosole Pantai Travel Shoes are some of the most popular styles from Kyle Parsons’ brand. They’re 100% handcrafted without fuel-powered machinery, and customers report that on top of their sustainability points, they’re even comfortable.
Rothy’s: Flats With a Conscience Rothy’s has been zeroed in on sustainability since day one. To date, they have repurposed over 20 million plastic water bottles, and transformed them into washable, stylish flats. Rothy’s has made it big, attracting the attention of names like Meghan Markle. Despite the recent high profile, Rothy’s is committed to bringing recycled footwear to everyone who wants to join the movement. If recycling old bottles wasn’t enough, Rothy’s is going a step further. They have offered to recycle their old shoes into new styles if customers ship them back. This truly circular practice is virtually unprecedented in the industry, and consumers are impressed. Rothy’s offers five classic silhouettes, mixed and matched with a spectrum of colors and patterns. The pointed toe flat offers a stylish, upscale look to any outfit. Rothy’s shoes fit true to size, boast a zero break-in period, and can be washed in cold water. Recycled shoes are hitting the shelves in a big way, and customers can’t get enough. With designs like these, customers no longer need to sacrifice style for sustainability.
Cover Image: Photo by Noah Buscher on Unsplash