Sampla: Sleek, Sustainable Footwear Made From Repurposed Apple Waste
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George Taylor
- 18th August 2020
- 5 minute read
Sustainable footwear brand, Sampla have launched their first collection of unisex footwear, developed with a sleek design and environmental sustainability at the forefront.
The collection, modelled on the classic tennis shoe, is made in part, using apple waste from the Italian juice industry. The apple waste is repurposed into a 100% vegan material called appleskin™.
The remainder of the shoe is developed using recycled and organic materials, wherever possible, including organic cotton laces, responsibly-sourced hand-carved super crepe, and PU leftovers, from the European automotive industry, for the insoles.
Quality, craft and durability have been carefully considered at every stage of the design process. This timeless piece of unisex footwear will naturally appeal to those who seek out an environment conscious lifestyle.
Taking a utilitarian design approach, Sampla puts quality and construction at the forefront, whilst taking inspiration from classic tennis silhouettes of the seventies and eighties.
The sleek, clean-lined aesthetic crosses the divide from sports shoe to dress shoe and can effortlessly be paired with outfits ranging from light, floral summer dresses to activewear and jeans, or even worn to lighten up a more formal outfit.
This versatility is essential to Sampla, reducing needless consumerism by maximising wear across outfits.
The shoes are produced in a small family-owned, traditional artisan shoe workshop, based in the suburbs of Braga, Portugal. To keep carbon emissions as low as possible, their logistics partner sends the shoes using the most optimal route for each delivery, packed and sent in 0% plastic packaging.
The founder, Finbarr Power, is based in Ireland and has been working on the concept for two years.
“Sampla – the Irish word for example – is composed of a small group of friends from Ireland with shared interests in design, humanitarianism and the environment.“
Finbarr Power, founder of Sampla
Their journey started with a search for a pair of shoes that met four simple requirements: made with environmentally friendly materials, ethically produced, elegant, and affordable.
Unable to find a shoe that matched these criteria, the team decided to merge their combined experience in design, business and technology to create their own.
After dedicating two years to the project, and working closely with teams across Ireland, Portugal, and Italy, Sampla was delighted to finally share the result of their passion-filled project on the 27th of July: a simple, functional and timeless shoe that truly does set an example.
The brand has already hit their funding goal and is looking for as much additional support as they can get, as they come into the final week of their kickstarter campaign.
For more information, check out: www.samplafootwear.com