From mattresses to ‘caviar leather
Eco-responsibility and upcycling are the core values of a new sneaker brand called La Bise à Denise, created by Jonathan Maret and Christophe Segura, two designers based in Perpignan, France. The idea is to combine art, sustainability and eco-design, without ever compromising on style and comfort. This is achieved through upcycling, with every material used in the design of the sneakers otherwise destined for destruction or abandonment. This is the case for the leather scraps that come from several tanneries and make up the bulk of the sneaker uppers, but also for fish leather—salmon, trout, sturgeon—derived exclusively from skins destined to be discarded. The sturgeon leather used in the brand’s “Galathéa” sneaker uppers, for example, comes from companies producing French caviar. This leather is repurposed so that it doesn’t end up in the trash.
La Bise à Denise sneakers aren’t entirely upcycled—the outsole is made of rubber and the laces of cotton—but they do boast of being made mostly from waste or materials destined for destruction. The insole, for example, is made from recycled mattresses, and more precisely, from end-of-life foam and latex, a combination that gives rise to absorbent and insulating properties.
All of which testifies to the infinite possibilities of upcycling. And in this field, a handful of designers have gone even further, turning to the most unlikely of objects to make sneakers that are as original as they are eco-friendly.