With sustainability becoming a real concern in the fashion industry many fashion brands are turning to it. Due to the increased awareness of the harmful effects of many fashion practices on the environment, fashion brands all over are looking to reduce their carbon footprints.
In the footwear industry, fashion brands, including Nike and Adidas are using items like recycled plastic to made parts of their shoes. However, some fashion brands, like Thousand Fell, took it a step further by using more than just recycled plastic to make their footwear.
Thousand Fell is a New York-based startup fashion brand which was founded in June 2018 by 27-year-old Chloe Songer and 29-year-old Stuart Ahlum. The sustainable footwear brand aims to reduce the environmental footprint of the footwear industry and to reduce the number of footwear that ends up in landfills.
The Thousand Fell Fashion Brand and Sustainability
At the core of their sneaker production is a need to make sneakers that are not only durable but are also made up of materials that can be reused. These materials can either be biodegraded, recycled to make new shoes, or upcycled into materials for new projects.
Their core product is made of 12 biodegradable or recyclable materials including aloe vera, castor beans, coconut husks, sugar cane, palm leaf fibres, natural and recycled rubber, recycled water bottles and quartz. Each of these materials is responsibly sourced.
You should also read our post on Mi Terro, a sustainable fashion brand that uses milk to make items of clothing.
How Are These Materials Used?
Thousand Fell‘s shoes are made from a leather-like material that is made from recycled plastic and is coated with a bio-based resin made from corn waste. The soft-touch mesh liners in the shoes are made from recycled plastic and are coated with aloe vera to combat bacteria and keep smells away. This means you can go sockless with their sneakers.
The outsoles and insoles of the shoes are made from natural and recycled rubber. The outsoles are made in partnership with a net-zero emissions natural rubber supplier. The insoles are made in partnership with a recycled rubber supplier to give comfort at its finest.
The breathable oil-based foam used in the footwear was made in collaboration with a mattress company from castor beans. Finally, seeing as all their shoes are white, they are coated with a natural quartz barrier to make them stain proof and water-resistant.
Materials like coconut husks, sugar cane, and palm leaf fibres are used to replace many of the plastic parts found in footwear.
Thousand Fell and Circularity
As a move towards circularity, Thousand Fell accepts old pairs of their sneakers free of charge from customers in exchange for a $20 gift card towards the next purchase. These sneakers are either refurbished or broken down and reintroduced to their supply chain.
In the case of refurbished footwear, the shoes are given to someone in need through a partnership the brand has with Soles4Souls, a non-profit organisation that provides shoes to those in need. Materials that cannot be reused by the brand are donated to other partners and incorporated into secondary supply chains.
The fashion brand is also a member of 1% For The Planet where they will be funding projects and non-profits that give back to the environment.
What’s to Learn from the Thousand Fell Fashion Brand?
The Thousand Fell fashion brand is one that has taken sustainability to a new level. Unlike many fashion brands that push the word around to attract customers, they truly bring sustainability to their brand in style.
As a fashion entrepreneur, you also can take a pain point in society and turn it into an opportunity. Also, as you build your brand, it is important to give back to society in your little way. No matter how small your brand is, you can still help one person in need.
