Used coffee grounds are spun into a yarn that is odour-proof, UV-blocking, quick to dry, and antibacterial meaning that you can wear these shoes without socks and they won’t damage your feet. It’s used in the removable insole, the inner lining, and the knit upper – roughly 300 grams per shoe, which is equivalent to the grounds used for 21 cups of coffee. The grounds are collected from 7/11 convenience stores.

Recycled plastic is used to make a waterproof membrane that’s watertight yet breathable, and a knit material that is lightweight and stretchy, while still giving real support.  “It doesn’t feel like an aqua-sock; it feels like a real shoe.” Each shoe contains the equivalent of 6 plastic water bottles. The entire upper is made from recycled materials, and eventually the sole will be too. As co-founder Jesse Tran explains below:

“The sole is currently made from condensed EVA (Ethylene-vinyl acetate). However, we’ve successfully developed a new sole (midsole and outsole) made from Recycled EVA (from other shoes’ soles) instead of Virgin EVA. This new sole will be implemented in the next version of Rens since the schedule is too tight for us to implement it now in this first production run.”

Rens originals sneakers come in 8 colours. They are vegan, unisex, hand-washable, and have a 1-year warranty. You can learn more on Kickstarter, where prices are 40% reduced until the campaign ends.