Reconciling nature and fashion with a new generation of biodegradable shoes.
We’ve seen some pretty interesting shoes on Green Prophet, such as these tongue shoes from Israeli designer Kobi Levi and these nature-friendly vegan shoes, but we would never have thought about sprouting new life from smelly worn shoes. OAT Shoes from the Netherlands did, and they’ve been awarded a ton of prize money for their ingenuity. Still in the conceptual stage and barely off the runway, it will be a long time before we see these in the Middle East. But hey, I’d walk 500 miles to be the gal who wears biodegradable shoes.This brand-new shoe design combines sleek style and biodegradable materials to produce sneakers that leave no mark on the environment when thrown out.
“Bury them in the garden, woods or compost, water regularly and flowers will bloom from your old kicks.”
Christiaan Maats from Delfzijl studied Industrial Design in Delft. He then immersed himself in the idea of storytelling through product design in Sydney, Australia before moving to Amsterdam to make some shoes that didn’t compromise his respect for nature.
His sidekick Dirk-Jan Oudshoorn from Western Holland studied in Delft and then worked in a pop-up nightclub made from recycled materials before working with Uran Utangs in Indonesia.
Together they created a product that went from zero to one hundred directly after their original launch, clinching second prize at the Green Fashion Awards during Amsterdam’s International Fashion week. They come is several colors and were born out of endless hours of research and testing.
This team expresses their vision as such:
“The future of fashion lies in a reconciliation between nature and industry. OAT Shoes strives to lead the way to that future.”
:: OAT Shoes
Green shoes in the Middle East:
Are Kobi Levi’s Tongue Shoes Fit For Dancing?
Author: Tafline Laylin
As a tour leader who led “eco-friendly” camping trips throughout North America, Tafline soon realized that she was instead leaving behind a trail of gas fumes, plastic bottles and Pringles. In fact, wherever she traveled – whether it was Viet Nam or South Africa or England – it became clear how inefficiently the mandate to re-think our consumer culture is reaching the general public. Born in Iran, raised in South Africa and the United States, she currently splits her time between Africa and the Middle East. Tafline can be reached at tafline (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
Oh, I’d walk 500 miles with that guy 🙂
I like…better than the tyre-sole recycled sandles!
Or walk 500 miles to be the gal who walks beside THAT guy wearing OAT shoes.