Eco-friendly luxury shoes from Italy land in the USA

Italian shoe designer Andrea Verdura, a veteran and extremely appreciated in the whole world, has just launched his new collection overseas: boots and sandals made of recycled fishing net from Italy have just landed in the United States.

The idea that gave birth to this new high-quality collection of classic Italian shoes is, all in all, quite simple: Verdura was walking along the beach when he spotted an abandoned fishing net on a rock. It has to be said that the fine gauge net had previously been banned by the European Union because it captured young fish, therefore endangering many species.

Verdura, though, was intrigued by the material and picked it up. Then, he stepped into it and discovered that the fishing net seemed to be made to naturally conform to the shape of his foot. The idea bloomed into Verdura’s mind: why not make a collection of high-quality shoes from this material, giving birth to some of the finest products while, at the same time, respecting the environment?

The next steps were classic: Verdura had the nest cleaned, cut and washed until it softened. Then, in order to make the shoes even more eco-friendly, the designer incorporated materials such as cork – for the anatomical footbeds, waste leathers from shoe production – for the back strap of the sandals, recycled Vibram rubber and cork or vegetable-tanned leather – for the soles.

The result is nothing less than marvelous. The collection includes sandals and boots for women, men and kids and was first launched in Italy and Spain in 2015. Starting from July 2016, it will be available in the United States on a limited basis. In August, the shoes will be sold at H. Lorenzo in West Hollywood, California, and The Piece Collective in Venice, California. Retail prices range from $120 to $140 for sandals; $180 to $200 for short boots, and $70 to $80 for children’s sandals.

One final curiosity: the fishing net for the shoes will be provided by the famous environmentalist organization Sea Shepherd, born in defense of the marine habitats.

Picture: courtesy of the brand, at this link.