ID.EIGHT is a sustainable sneaker brand made in Italy that is not only unisex and animal-free but also made from materials derived from food industry byproducts such as apple peels and cores fiber by Frumat, grape skins and seed fiber by Vegea, and pineapple leaf fiber by Ananas Anam.
The brand was born from the union of its two founders, who come from the world of footwear: Dong Seon Lee, shoe designer, and Giuliana Borzillo, product manager. Working together daily, they have launched an entirely new sneaker collection - a winning combination of fresh and trendy 90s-inspired styles with an eco-friendly twist.
Although both designers already had successful careers in their own countries - Dong in Korea and Germany, and Giuliana in Italy - when they got engaged, they joined forces professionally and founded the ID-EIGHT brand. The company is particularly attentive to waste and uses waste material for the entire shoe collection. Apple peel, pineapple leaves, recycled cotton and polyester are some of the materials used in the production cycle of this footwear collection.
The packaging is also designed to have a positive impact on the environment: The shoebox is made of recycled paper, and each box contains a "seed bomb," a mixture of soil and flower seeds in a clay ball that can either be planted in a vase or abandoned in a park in your city. With this small gesture we want to contribute together to biodiversity and create a more favorable habitat for bees.
Leather Derived from Waste Products
ID.EIGHT's sneakers are made primarily of three types of leather-like materials, all derived from waste products of agricultural fruit processing: Pineapple "leather" made from pineapple leaves from the Philippines, and Grape and Apple "leather" from Italy, derived from the polymerization of wine and non-edible parts of apples, respectively. The lycra and mesh details on the upper, as well as the sole, laces, and label, are made from recycled materials.
The pineapple industry produces about 40,000 tons of leaves per year. As it is considered a waste material, it is often left to rot or burn. But it is possible to recover this element to create a biodegradable material. With 480 leaves (about 16 pineapple plants), 1 square meter of material can be obtained. In recent years, the amount of agri-food waste used to make sustainable products has gone from zero to more than 30 tons per month.
The wine industry discards more than 7 million tons of pomace every year, an unacceptable waste. Grape stems, skins and pips are part of pomace, the residue from the must extraction process. Today, we can see it in the form of a resistant and flexible material used in various applications.