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?

NIKE Shoe Recycling In Israel

Natalie’s Vegan Feet

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