Better lifecycle management needed for footwear
The footwear industry has made too little progress in managing the lifecycle of its components and finished products, a well known shoe designer has said.
Speaking at the recent Beast to Beauty conference in London, Galahad Clark, from the prominent footwear dynasty, said that industries such as mobile phones and electrical goods have gone much further in making sure they can repair, reuse or recycle their products and the raw materials that go into them. He said, for example, that most women’s high-heels have metal shanks, which can make recycling difficult.
Focusing now on two brands, Terra Plana and United Nude, Mr Clark places great emphasis on sustainable design. Some of his ideas involve using no glue, instead stitching a sole straight onto a chrome-free leather upper.
“Every design, every product is part of the eco-system and needs to be balanced,” he said. “If not, it won’t fit into the world of today and it will become extinct.”
