The idea’s sweet — but are the shoes hot?
A London company called Above + Below’s making “Limited Edition Tube Trainers” out of old subway and bus seat covers, recycled / repurposed leather, and recycled tire rubber. (via Grist) The resulting product’s pictured above.
The shoes do look a bit less jarring in photos taken from a distance — if the shoes are turned so you don’t see the seat cover sides too much….
Are these sturdy-looking kicks a smart use of existing resources that double as a subliminal ad for eco-friendly travel to boot? Or are the overly-colorful footwear perpetuating the frumpy hippie environmentalist stereotype?
Images via aboveandbelowlondon.com
They are ugly. I have some that are similar but are made with plain denim and recycled rubber – I can’t think of the name of the company right now. While they aren’t stylish they are really comfortable and are more subdued than the ones pictured above.
Comment by Kim Woodbridge — December 4, 2008 @ 11:50 am
This does bring up the issue of why subway / bus seat covers are often so garish, however :P
Comment by Siel — December 7, 2008 @ 1:18 pm