While using old discarded tyres to make footwear is not a new concept (we have all seen documentaries of Masai tribesmen wearing Lugabire sandals made out of worn out tyres,while in Pakistan and bangladesh people have been wearing shoes made of vulcanised rubber for decades), it is amazing how the entire concept has hit the high streets of the fashion world like a tsunami recently.
Armed with the knowlege that post-industrial humanity continues to discard a whopping 1.5 billion tyres a year which are hard to dispose but easy to recycle into anything from fashionable flooring to fabulous shoes. Fashion houses from Mumbai to Mombasa and Stockholm to Santiago are now churning out shoes that come with killer designs,ergonomic comfort and intense durability and which puts shoe making staples, such as leather and fabric, to shame. Designers who have created exquisite rubber sandals for their Fall collections include iconic fashion brands Burberry, Chanel Chloe,jimmy Choo and Sergio Rossi — all with a price tag of anywhere between $200 and 400. Added to this mix are a handful of considerably cheaper, relatively obscure African brands, such as Akala Sandals and Sole Rebels — retailing at a mere $35 to 80 — which have started making their mark on the international fashion arena.
Although many critics claim that globalising old tyre shoes like the Lugabire is yet another example of high street fashion taking over a pro-poor product (remember Paul Smith and the Peshawari chappal?), the fact is that shoes made out of recycled tyres are great, durable products that are good for the environment.
As the automotive industry is tinkering with new technologies, such as run-flat tyres and with plans to develop airless tyres, and considering the inventory of current generation tyres out there, there is no fear that the fashion industry will be running out of raw marterial anytime soon.
So if you see someone wearing shoes that remind you of that old weather beaten tyre you recently discarded, remember they are way ahead of you on the fashion curve.
By Tariq Ziad Khan