Hip and 100% biodegradable

‘The biggest problem was finding good materials; it’s a jungle of certificates out there’
Did you know that the garden is the new bin for your old shoes? Sneakers from the Dutch company OAT Shoes are made out of 100% compostable, biodegradable material. By burying them in the garden, they will become part of the organic circle. As a gimmick the shoes contain flower seeds, so within a few months, a pair of smelly trainers will cause a flower explosion.

Founder Christiaan Maats and his business partner Dirk-Jan Oudshoorn have worked for more than two years on this innovative sneaker. It was an intense process. In the Amsterdam OAT Shoes office, Christiaan Maats tells about their ‘quest’: “We wanted to create a shoe that would be 100% compostable and biodegradable after burying it in the ground, without leaving any toxic materials. The biggest problem was finding good materials. It’s a jungle of certificates out there, but most certified producers could not specify the components of their certified material. Besides that we needed a producer who was willing to help us, because our shoes slow down a conventional production process. For instance, standard stitching machines are made for synthetic yarns, but we use the more fragile cotton yarn. For the upper we use canvas and cotton, and canvas is normally glued to make the stitching easier. But we could not use chemical glue. Finally we found a Bulgarian producer who strongly believes in our ideas and sustainable production methods.”

The first line is the ‘Virgin Collection’: four sneaker models made of hemp, bio-cotton, certified biodegradable plastics, cork, chlorine-free bleach and other non-toxic materials. They have white and beige uppers and coloured soles that refer to the four elements. A big contrast with the wildly coloured and black sneakers from popular brands. Christiaan: “First of all it is difficult to dye canvas in radiant colours without chemical fixation. Secondly, we wanted the first line to be a blanc canvas. From this neutral base we will further develop the shoes. We are exploring new materials, biodegradable dyes, leathers and prints, and so on for the new collections.”

Currently OAT Shoes are part of an exhibition (until January 2012) in the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. Celebrities would love to make an eco statement by putting OAT on their feet. NBC people, Hollywood-stylists and p.a.’s have already asked for product placement. Christiaan: “It’s all very tempting, but it wouldn’t be smart to do that right now. We wouldn’t be able to handle the requests that may come from the media exposure.” With a big smile he adds: “We did send a pair to the vice-president of Google, though. But we need to focus on the collection and the production line first. Children’s shoes are high on our list. Wouldn’t it be great to give your kid a shoe, bury it together and then watch an oak tree growing from it?”

//Published in x-ray #3-2011//© Miranda Writes//