Kane Footwear unveils new upcycling programming ‘Project Renew’

Active recovery brand Kane Footwear has unveiled a new upcycling initiative to turn shoes into yoga and changing mats.

Kane Footwear has partnered with upcycled rubber goods manufacturer Lava Rubber to launch ‘Project Renew,’ which will allow customers to send back its Revive slip-on shoes to be shredded into flakes so they can be incorporated into mats.

Flakes of Revive slip-ons, the brand explained, will be mixed with a generic Lava Rubber mix that includes wetsuits, which will all be incorporated into the yoga mats and keep five pounds of scrap out of landfill.

John Gagliardi, founder and chief executive at Kane Footwear, said in a statement: “Sustainability has always been a core tenet of Kane’s principles, and this latest initiative expands our offerings even further, providing customers with a simple upcycling option.”

Customers can request a prepaid shipping label on Kane Footwear’s website to send their shoes to Lava Rubber to be upcycled as part of the scheme. In return, they will receive a 10 US dollar gift card to the Kane Footwear website.

Lava Rubber founder and chief revenue officer Michael Briody added: “Lava Rubber and Kane Footwear are focused on providing customers with consciously-made goods, and it was only natural we work together.

“We recognise the same positive energy in each other’s business models and knew our collaboration would produce something special. The Kane x Lava Rubber Mat Collection really brings our visions together and translates them into a physical form. Each mat is unique and considered a 1-of-1. We hope the world enjoys these as much as we do.”

The yoga mats will be available for purchase on Kanefootwear.com from today, April 11, and will retail for 100 US dollars, while the changing mats are priced 60 US dollars.