Is this the future of footwear? Sustainable sneakers created entirely from fruits, plants and recycled materials?
Designed in Paris, French shoe brand, MoEa (Mother Earth), is re-inventing sustainable sneakers and what fashion means – it is indeed 100% possible.
The brand MoEa, was founded by a team of seven people aged 24 to 29 who are united by their goal to bring fashion and the environment together.
Handcrafted in Portugal, MoEa is committed to their bio-based standards as their production process is chromium-free and the shoe factory uses 100% renewable energies.
Insights on a 2020 analysis report on Vegan Footwear states the growing interest and push for sustainable products will not slow down in future years.
In fact, Europe and North America accounted for over 60 per cent of vegan footwear in the global market in 2019.
The demand for eco-friendly products and fashion is especially evident with millennials and younger generations where ‘conscious purchasing’ is influenced by 18-24 year old’s, according to a Utopia survey.
The shoe brand’s biomaterials emit 89 per cent less carbon dioxide than leather.
Instead of using environmentally un-friendly materials such as leather and plastic, these sneakers are made from a range of fruits and plants including apple, pineapple, corn, cactus, and grape which are the five plant-based leather typeS customers can choose from.
They are completely vegan, PETA-approved and recycled.
The fruits and plants are utilised through the waste they produce to create the shoes’ vibrant colours; apple and grape fibre (from the juice), pineapple (pineapple leaves waste), and cactus and corn fibre (from the skins).
The fruit and plant waste are blended with organic cotton or recycled plastic – depending on the plant – for stabilising.
Combined with the colourful fruit and plants, the lining is made from 70 per cent recycled bamboo. The soles are 40 percent recycled rubber, and the insoles are made from recycled wood fibre.
Starting from $160 (AUD) a pair, MoEa donates 1 per cent of its gross sales to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) – a non-government organisation which works towards wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact the environment.
Customers can even recycle their shoes once they are no longer wearable.
Sustainable fashion is being encouraged now more than ever, with major brands including Adidas, Nike and Puma creating footwear which also use natural materials instead of chemicals.
