Innovative sustainability ideas and footwear seem to make good bedfellows at present. We recently witnessed biodegradable sneakers, and now we’re delighted to report another take on sustainable shoes. This shoe arrives in a flatpack envelope and every part of the packaging will eventually grace your sole:

” the flat-pack footwear is mailed to you in a vegetable-tanned calf leather envelope — which becomes the inner shoe — with adaptable rubber soles; a pair of footbeds, made out of cork, latex and jute; a pair of shoelaces, and directions for you to put it all together, along with the help of a local shoemaker. “

Of particular interest is the deliberate involvement of local shoemakers. The project is the brainchild of Jennifer Rieker and it’s an ingenious example of how a novel product can be designed to harness latent, or indeed endangered, elements of the consumer ecology for the good of the overall ecosystem.

“With a focus on user integration, Rieker aims to raise consumer awareness on the shoe-making process and influence users’ consumption patterns”

Jennifer Rieker

Treehugger: Glue-Free “Creo Shoe Concept” Supports Local Shoemakers