Munich-based footwear brand Nat-2 is dedicated to exploring unusual, natural materials for shoe design, including stone, coffee grounds, corn, cork, mushrooms, fish leather, flowers, cannabis, red pepper, ox blood, leaves, moss and more. Now the brand has expanded its offer with a “Reduceusecycle” line, which aims to find new, never-before-used materials to recycle and upcycle, presenting a vegan sneaker made from used and then recycled aluminum foil.
To this end, Nat-2 has teamed up with the Israeli start-up Remeant for innovative textiles. The result is the Nat-2 Sleek Alchemist vegan sneaker, whose upper is made from upcycled aluminum foil and reflective glass. The lining is made of Nat-2 bio-ceramic and the removable insole is made of real cork, the outsole is made of 100 percent rubber. Heel and tongue feature a smooth, reflective glass surface.
The Nat-2 Sleek Alchemist Sneaker was designed by Sebastian Thies, shoe designer in the sixth generation and founder of the shoe brand. The shoes are made under fair conditions in a small family production in Italy.
The new Reduceusecycle line is not just about finding new, never-before-used materials to recycle and upcycle, but also to push new approaches and views on circular product design, solving existing problems and providing inspiration to rethink for the way we consume.
Do not boost the amount of waste, but use it until it is reduced
“Is it really okay to use aluminum foil for mostly unnecessary purposes, like a sandwich wrap that lasts an hour if we then recycle it again?” asks the label. “Or is it better to pack lunch in a paper bag and use other natural materials for shoes?”
The answer is, of course, yes, but until that happens, and until “a lot of aluminum waste is created every day,” the label continues, “shouldn’t we still recycle it for new uses and establish a new aesthetic in fashion?”.
So it’s not about avoiding the problem of textile-to-textile recycling and taking the waste away from other industries, but about showing sustainable solutions for waste recycling until these amounts of waste are reduced and avoided.
The shoes are available from the Coilex online shop with worldwide, climate-neutral delivery. No information has yet been given about the price.
