As sustainability gains ground in the fashion industry, circular sneakers are designing out waste and strive to keep materials in use for longer.
Once a symbol of American culture, sneakers have successfully conquered the world. They crossed the boundaries of sportswear into business attire.
The coming of age of millennials, an increased attention to a healthy lifestyle and the popularity of branded footwear are key drivers of a market that is projected to reach USD 97.8 bn by 2024.
However, the industry’s manufacturing processes, its dependency on plastics and product design features result in a massive environmental impact.
A recent MIT study found that a typical pair of running shoes contains 65 distinct parts and requires more than 360 steps to assemble. It generates about 13.6 kg of CO₂, mostly due to an energy-intensive manufactoring process.
Most sneakers are made from plastics, such as polyester, polyurethane and polyethylene. This makes them lighter, more comfortable, more durable and cheaper.
So what’s the big deal? Plastics is recyclable. In theory, yes, but stitching and gluing together different materials is not ideal from a recycling perspective.
A few days ago I had an inspiring chat with Filip Westerlund, a Swedish national based in Luxembourg, whose start-up, Our Choice Fashion, is launching “the world’s first circular sneaker”.
So what makes them different?
Plastic is synthetic and a by-product of oil while rubber is a natural product derived from the sap of the rubber trees.
To start with, they are completely produced in the European Union under ISO 14001 Standard. They feature high-quality leather and a 100% natural rubber sole . They are plastic-free, use no chromium and only vegetable tanning.
Our Choice’s circular sneakers can also be repaired indefinetely: just send them back and have the worn out part replaced!
The leather and rubber can be easily separated and recycled, if they cannot be repaired. Thus, they have a longer lifecycle and produce less waste than normal sneakers.
Finally, they will be bespoke for a perfect fit and made to order.
The major brands are joining the race as well, developing so-called “eco-sneakers”. Nonetheless, 89% of eco-sneakers include plastic and designers hardly worry about their end-of-life. As a result, over 25 billion sneakers per year, including eco-sneakers, are landfilled, generating 350 tons of CO2/year.
“Greenwashing is a huge threat to the credibility of the industry’s efforts towards sustainability”, says Filip.
A third party certification by Compare Ethics supports Our Choice’s claims.
Finally, Our Choice compensates for all production, delivery and logistics impacts by cleaning up ocean plastics with empower.eco.
Our Choice is launching its kickstarter campaign on November 23rd. Make sure to check it out!