The German designers David Solk and Irmi Kreuzer, having worked for years in the industry—for marginalized cases with Adidas, On Running, Helly Hansen, and Zara—finally decided to start their own line of shoes because they wanted to combine comfort, style, and care for the Earth.
The shoe, the 'Fade 101' sneaker, was presented at the Global Fashion Summit, which also included talks on nature's rights. It is built to last and eventually degrade into nature.
"We've been designing shoes for other people for years. Now, we finally designed the shoe we always wanted: comfortable and harmless to the environment," Solk said in a statement.
"Certain parts of the Fade 101 are made exclusively from safe and earth-friendly materials," declared the Swiss brand.
No harmful leather was used, the insides were made from 100 percent bio thread, which reduces waste. Then there's Tencel and yarn for the straps and laces. To top it off, compostable natural rubber and foam were used for the sole.
"Every stitch, every needlepoint, every choice in material, design, production, and fate after use is meant to not harm our world," Solk added.
The decision to use leather for the topmost layer is strange, especially with leather taking 50 years or more to break down; most other natural threads, such as cotton or wool, break down much faster.
The leather cutting uses AI to minimize waste, and the cutting tools have been custom-designed for Solk.
When the shoes become worn, they are taken back by Solk for composting at its own facility. The materials were individually tested for over 200 harmful substances and for their effectiveness at becoming plantable after composting.
Solk's production facility is located in Vietnam, which gives them full control over their materials, production methods, and fair employment.
The Fade 101 comes in four styles—Ivory, Black, Sand, and Ember—and sells for about 250 euros. You can pre-order the sneaker on the brand's website now, with an expected delivery date in October.