Van Gogh Museum Captures Artist’s Love Of Nature With Sustainable Sneakers
By Mikelle Leow, 17 Jul 2023
Image via Cariuma
Vincent van Gogh was undeniably starry-eyed with the flora and fauna surrounding him, documenting it all in sketches and paintings of flowers, trees, birds, and insects. He believed all painters should be versed with “the language of nature,” and be in tune with the elements by being immersed in them while they work.
“If one truly loves nature, one finds beauty everywhere,” the Post-Impressionist wrote to his brother Theo in 1874.
Taking big steps to remember the artist’s respect for Mother Nature’s gifts, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam has partnered with sustainable sneaker brand Cariuma to paint his flowers and landscapes onto footwear that give back to the earth.
The walkable canvas spotlights Van Gogh’s Sunflowers (1889) and Wheatfield with Crows (1890), along with a 50th-anniversary jubilee flower pattern created for the museum.
Wheatfield with Crows (1890). Images via Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation) [1][2]
The shoemaker’s cult-favorite styles haven’t just been seen on celebrities, but it’s also the official sneaker partner of PANTONE and has painted every recent Color of the Year onto streetwear-friendly pieces.
With the new Van Gogh lineup, the duo looks to celebrate the “immense beauty of our planet” by reminding wearers to “look around and implement daily decisions centered around nourishing and protecting our natural world.”
Sunflowers (1889). Images via Cariuma (left) and The National Gallery / Wikimedia Commons (right; public domain)
To that end, Van Gogh’s artwork is splashed across Cariuma’s signature OCA Low silhouette that’s 100% vegan and constructed with organic cotton and natural rubber.
The upper and lining are made from breathable cotton canvas, while the sole is crafted from 100% slip-resistant rubber. The laces consist of recycled plastics and organic cotton, and are finished with debossed metal aglets.
Van Gogh Museum’s Jubilee 50 print. Images via Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
The insole features a Mamona oil bio-based material with a cork insert, adorned with the Cariuma logomark. Handmade with care, these sneakers showcase a vulcanized construction with a fully stitched outsole.
A cheeky ‘Vincent’ signature appears on the outsole.
Apart from the canvas models, a second interpretation of Sunflowers pictures the blooms on premium leather sourced from Leather Working Group (LWG)-certified Gold Rated tanneries, says Cariuma.
Image via Cariuma
As with all of the brand’s releases, its Van Gogh Museum collection is delivered without adding any environmental footprint (the company buys offsets to achieve carbon-neutral logistics), and the shoes are wrapped in recycled and 100% recyclable packaging.
The company has also pledged to plant a pair of trees in the Brazilian rainforest for every pair of sneakers purchased.
The series brings to mind another piece of advice Van Gogh gave to his brother: “Always continue walking a lot and loving nature, for that’s the real way to learn to understand art better and better.”
You can now get your hands on the artsy footwear in men’s and women’s sizes on the Cariuma website. The canvas styles are going for US$89 a pair, while the leather variant will set you back US$139.
Image via Cariuma
Image via Cariuma
Image via Cariuma
[via People and Real Simple, images via various sources]
This article was crafted with assistance from an AI engine, and has been reviewed, edited, and fact-checked.