US entrepreneur creates paper shoes
A young entrepreneur based in Michigan, US, recently introduced ‘upcycled’ paper footwear made from old billboards into the footwear market. Jimmy Tomczak prefers to go barefoot as often as possible but was looking for a way to protect his feet from hot asphalt.
Wanting to create a tear-resistant, waterproof and lightweight sandal, Mr Tomczak initially tried using FedEx envelopes but found that, although puncture-resistant and waterproof, they were too thin for footwear.
He then tried paper from an old billboard, which is about five times thicker than a shower curtain, and produced his first paper shoe. Mr Tomczak uses one billboard (costing $20) to make 100 pairs of ‘Paper Feet’, and sells each pair for $30.
According to local media, Mr Tomczak hopes that the production of his ‘Paper Feet’ will create jobs to people recovering from the current recession in Michigan. He intends to get his product into retail stores for summer 2011.
