Sneakers have created a culture of their own and have a devoted community that religiously follows new drops and collaborations. Very few know that those sneakers have a large socioeconomic and environmental impact. Statistics show more than 24 billion pairs of shoes are produced every year with over 90% ending up in landfills after a short linear use cycle. The sneaker economy has become fast fashion and its environmental footprint has become a problem of its own . According to the Sneaker, Recycling Organization Got Sneakers? , one pair of sneakers produces about 30 pounds worth of CO2 emissions, equal to keeping a 100-watt light bulb on for a week with only a small percentage of shoes recycled which means a lot more end up in municipal landfills. At the same time. production costs are increasing and the consumer is being asked to pay more while accepting lower quality and even less longevity in their sneakers.
Here enters VYN, an exciting new sneaker brand that challenges the existing footwear landscape by producing the world’s first renewable shoe via its unique eco-innovation model. VYN aims to change sneaker reputation as a major polluter by focusing on a circular support system of wear, care, and repair in which the sneakers’ lifetime is extended multiple times. The brand was founded by Catherine Meuter and Stefan Mathys in 2019 as a pursuit to create the first top-quality repairable sneaker in the world. Focusing on the values of longevity and quality, the duo aims to encourage the average sneaker customer to understand the polluting nature of the sneaker culture and move away from a disposable mindset, to one where they can actually enjoy sneakers for longer by easily repairing them. “As a brand, we understand that we need to build the long-term relationship with the customer over time that cares and buys into our mindset of buying less but better,” notes Mathys.
VYN Sneakers
The VYN team is devoted to creating a positive impact by revolutionizing the sneaker industry by looking at it in a more holistic way. Their research and innovation are focused on three sustainability pillars: people, planet, and product. In other words, the brand focuses on the transparency of material outsourcing and the responsibility to recycle the sneakers through the brand’s disassembly partners in order to guarantee the customers a lasting relationship with their kicks.
VYN Sneakers
Partnering independent style and versatility with structural design excellence, VYN is the first brand that devotes itself to the entire lifecycle of the shoe. “Our thought process and design ethos of quality materials combined with changeable elements to the shoe is genuinely fresh and exciting,” says co-founder Catherine Meuter. In fact, the brand even visualizes to additionally recycle the materials used at the end of life making the product even more sustainable. The changeable heel elements, fused with the very best in materials and Italian craftsmanship mean that VYN sneakers adhere to the ‘buy less, but better mindset, with a vision for a complete lifecycle model based around ‘Refresh’ and ‘Renew’.
“This is not just a labor of love, we are very serious about VYN,” adds Mathys “We are experienced people from the industry and want to rip up the rule book and create our very own version around changing the footwear industry for the better with VYN leading the pack.”
If you are interested, you can now sign up for the Ecological Emporium Launch Event happening in London on the 8th of November from 17.30 to 19.30. A wonderful selection of Menswear brands including Vyn will be there. If you wish to sign up, you can do it here.