A pair of designers have come up with a pair of white sneakers that can be recycled in their entirety. The brand, which goes by the name Thousand Fell, is the first to launch a model that actually pays its customers to ship back their old pairs so that the company can assure that they are taken apart and that every component is recycled or composted.
The founders, who both worked in the apparel industry, found that consumers in their twenties tend to replace white sneakers—may be the most popular basic shoe—every four to six months. Once in a landfill, leather, and rubber leach chemicals and take decades to break down; plastic can take centuries.
The Thousand Fell sneakers, however, are made from sustainably sourced materials that can be taken apart easily. The upper is made from recycled plastic bottles with a corn coating that makes it look like leather; the sole is made from the same carbon-neutral rubber that Patagonia uses to make wetsuits. The insole is made from recycled yoga mat material, with a mesh liner made from aloe vera.
The result of all these materials put together is a fully recyclable shoe that is both eco-friendly and stylish; now that’s a step in the right direction!
