These Plastic-Free Sneakers Turn Into Soil At The End Of Their Life

Fashion has taken an eco-friendly turn in recent years, with many brands consciously attempting to reduce their carbon footprint on the world. However, most have not found a way to turn their products into a fully regenerative form to give life back to the earth. 
 
UNLESS Collective steps in with a new pair of kicks called The Degenerate. These shoes are a low-cut skate-inspired pair made 100% from plants and minerals. On top of that, they take it one step further in the recycling process as they can be turned into soil products at the end of their life. 

UNLESS collaborated with NFW (Natural Fiber Wielding), a company that develops plant-based materials, to produce a material that is soft enough to serve as the Degenerate’s outsole and cushioning. The brands turned to natural materials like Tencel, linen, cotton, lace tips, and coconut husks to achieve this.
 
According to UNLESS, 24 billion pairs of shoes are made annually, with 300 million being thrown away. They are also often made from plastic and petrochemicals that break down into microplastics that find their way into bodies of water.

Once you’ve gotten enough use out of the shoes, the company asks that you send them back to use as inputs for new soil materials so that the sneakers can birth something new from their decomposition process.
 
Luke Haverhals, founder and CEO of NFW, states that the kicks are the first genuinely circular pair to step into the fashion game. 
 
The Degenerate is sold for a limited time in an off-white and black colorway for US$139.
 
 
 
[via Complex and UNLESS Collective/PR Newswire, images via UNLESS Collective]