The future of post-consumer recycled denim doesn’t start and end with jeans.
Converse announced it will roll out the Renew Denim Collection, a line of sneakers that feature uppers made with upcycled denim fabric. Each pair of shoes uses at least one pair of upcycled jeans, diverting the fabric from years in a landfill. The collection is set to repurpose tens of thousands of jeans this season.
The concept for the collection was inspired by Converse employees who made their own sneakers from reclaimed materials, Hypebeast reported. The sneakers have been developed in partnership with the U.K.-based vintage retailer Beyond Retro, which selects and sorts denim.
The sustainable collection includes the Chuck 70 High and the Ox Low, which will retail for $90- $96, beginning Aug. 22 online and in-stores. The shoes come in light, medium and dark washes derived from their respective pair of jeans and feature a traditional all-white sole unit, a white toe cap, white laces and a white “Converse All Star” emblem on the hi-top version.
The Renew Denim collection is one part of Converse’s larger Renew initiativethat launched in July. The project features styles made from upcycled PET plastic that was collected from the world’s oceans. In Spring 2020, Converse will introduce Renew Cotton, which uses waste created from the brand’s own canvas styles to form a recycled cotton and polyester fabric.
Sneakers have been getting a denim makeover. In the past month, Nike unveiled a version of its Air Force 1 Low with interchangeable denim Swooshes, and Kith, Coca-Cola and Converse Chuck Taylor teamed on an exclusive multi-branded denim hi-top.
