Firm seeks funding for ‘performance sneakers’ made from coffee waste
Hundreds of thousands of Britons have this daily routine: take a cup of coffee, then put on your trainers before going for a jog. Before getting into the shower, take a small drink of water to rehydrate.
Now, one company has produced sneakers out of recycled plastic bottles and leftover coffee beans, allowing one thing to breed another.
Rens, a Finnish footwear company, began an online fundraising campaign for their latest sustainable trainer on Tuesday, claiming that its production, packaging, and transportation will be carbon neutral.
“Shoes created from recycled coffee grounds may appear unusual to some, but we believe this is just the beginning of a revolution in garment technology and manufacturing,” said Son Chu, the company’s co-founder.
The Nomad shoe, according to the business, will be created from coffee waste and recycled bottles, with the waterproof membrane being made from recycled polyester.
This is the company’s second shoe built to similar specs; in the summer of 2019, it released a general-purpose trainer through another Kickstarter campaign. This, it claimed, proved that there was a market for a more performance-oriented product this time. The inaugural sneaker from the brand was produced from 21 cups of coffee waste and six bottles of recyclable plastic.
“With the new approach, we are continuing our aim to promote sustainable fashion through technology and innovation,” said Jesse Tran, co-founder and CEO of Rens.
“We’re very thrilled that we were able to incorporate comments from our former consumers, who specifically demanded a performance sneaker, into the development of the Nomad.”
The current launch reflects a growing trend for recycled-material sporting clothing, as well as a growing awareness of the importance and practicality of more sustainable consumer items in general.
According to Mintel, more and more businesses are introducing sports gear made from recycled materials, citing the French outdoor company Salomon as an example, which introduced a running shoe with an upper made from recycled polyester that can be recycled again into fresh thread for fabric.
Brands that move to sustainable production practises and programmes that encourage the return of used products, according to Mintel, will gain in the future.
