In Haute-Savoie, a company designs sneakers with algae and plastic bottles to pollute less

A polluting industry, shoes are reinventing themselves. In Annecy, a start-up has been surfing the eco-responsible and vegan urban basketball market since 2018. This small company of 6 employees makes sneakers with non-polluting and recycled products. Straw, hay, invasive algae or even plastic bottles. “Depending on the model, there are between three and six bottles per pair. The idea is to minimize the creation of new materials on the shoes” explains Guillaume Linossier, the creator of the brand. Another specificity of this young French brand: the non-use of leather. Materials of animal origin are banned.

“Bring a number of innovative, eco-designed solutions to the footwear market”, this is the objective of the company according to its founder. Last year, she sold 60,000 pairs of shoes.

For each pair sold, the Haute-Savoie company undertakes to donate 1% of the price to nature protection projects. The only downside is that these sneakers are not “Made in France” but made in Portugal, in order to reduce manufacturing costs.