The DNA of our Recreate

Once upon a time in 2019, a crazy company called Paprcuts had the obsession to produce a green sneaker. Green because sustainable and fairly produced. We want to walk green over our blue planet.

We really put some thought into the composition of our sneakers. Fair working conditions must be, without exploitation or exposing other people to dangers, as is often the case with the tanning process of animal leather. In addition, the materials should be sustainable and preferably CO2 compensated.. Reconciling all this was an exciting project and we are incredibly proud of the result.

In total, our Recreate consists of seven different materials and a lot of love. Welcome to the organic lesson for sneakers, because now it's all about the DNA of the Recreate.

So first to the little word "organic", which actually makes a big difference. The shoelaces are made from organic cotton. Because during our research, we were very surprised to learn that conventional cotton accounts for about 25% of the insecticides used worldwide and a good 10% of the pesticides. Therefore, our decision fell on organic cotton, which is produced without chemical fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides. This not only protects the environment, but also the health of the farmers in our supply chain.

The framework and toe cap are made of vegan leather: animal suffering free. This was very important to us, because why should an animal suffer when there is another way. We source the material from organic polyols from a small factory in Italy. The raw material is made from field corn. 50% of the organic material is from renewable sources. The equipment for production is completely powered by photovoltaic generators - this is absolutely in line with our idea of sustainable production.

In addition, our heart material Tyvek could not be missing, after all it is a significant part of us. That's why the material can be found in the Paprcuts logo and the heel cap heel cap. Tyvek® is produced in Luxembourg, so we have a small carbon footprint here. Plus, it's 100% recyclable, which allows us to make new products while protecting our beautiful planet and conserving resources.

A bit like walking on clouds. This is possible because the footbed is made of cork is made of cork. Cork trees are found in the Mediterranean region, and we source it from near our production in Portugal, for example. The material is an environmental all-rounder: it is elastic and resistant to fire and water. However, what finally convinced us completely was the sustainability aspect, combined with the recyclability and the high wearing comfort. To make the footbed even more comfortable on the inside, we integrated a foam cushion.

With a focus on protecting our environment, we have chosen to use natural rubber for our sole sole. Rubber is 100% renewable. Additionally, the material can be easily recycled and is biodegradable. The production of natural rubber uses only about 10% of the energy required to produce synthetic rubber. Due to its high elasticity, the sole perfectly adapts to the foot, preventing pain, even when worn for a long time. This guarantees a good comfort in all life situations. For our PRM sneakers in gold and silver, we opted for an upcycled sole. Don't be surprised, that's how the black spots come about. Pretty special, plus on top still sustainable.

The interior is still missing (apart from the feet). At inner material of our sneaker Recreate we have chosen a microfiber, which is called Natura. The material is 100% breathable, with a soft and natural feel and a texture reminiscent of leather. The microfiber can absorb several times its own weight in water and, due to its thermoregulatory effect, provides a feeling of maximum comfort while the inside of the shoe remains completely dry. Especially in combination with the perforated vegan leather on the sides, this makes for a great combo.

So far so good. But what about CO2 compensated? We have previously calculated the CO2 consumption of our sneaker during production. Here, the materials, the delivery routes and the manufacture are also calculated to get an overview of the CO2 consumption at the end. For every pair of sneakers sold, we plant a mangrove tree in Bangladesh to reduce in Bangladesh to compensate for the CO2 consumed. We only have this one beautiful planet - let's take care of it a little more.

All in all, a green thing, don't you think?