Vienna-based footwear startup Effekt Footwear has made a trainer called Alchemy-X from 90 per cent recycled materials, including ocean plastic and waste from the fashion industry.
Each pair of trainers is made with an average of 775 grams of recycled textile waste, reclaimed rubber and recovered ocean plastic, according to the brand.
Alchemy-X trainers are made from recovered ocean plastic
"We wanted to make a sneaker that set the bar for sustainability and would create a positive impact for the planet," said Effekt Footwear founder Ben Smits.
The trainer is named after the medieval practice of attempting to turn scrap metal into gold.
"Just as the medieval chemist was trying to turn base metals into gold, we're using '21st-century alchemy' to turn trash into trainers," said Smits. "We wish to create value from cleaning up our planet, create a business case for upcycling and help re-frame people's perception of waste materials."
The shoe's name reflects the ideals of alchemy
Effekt Footwear's low rise trainer comes in a paired-back design featuring a recycled upper lining made out of reclaimed ocean plastic and recycled textiles.
Textile scraps, off cuts and other scrap materials from the Portuguese textile industry, are recovered before being sent to landfill. Materials such as cotton are then broken down and spun back into new yarn for the trainers.
The trainers incorporate scraps from the Portuguese textile industry
The company's European ...