Fast fashion is wreaking havoc on our natural environment, and it's time to rethink style in a more eco-friendly and sustainable framework. That's why Converse is launching this retail experience lab that offers creative workshops for consumers to customise, clean and repair their chucks that have seen better days.
Bring your well-loved sneakers in for a consultation with the team, and then pick from a large array of patches or choose a colour upgrade for your eyelets and laces. You can even add personalised embroidery using recycled PVC thread or learn how to dye them with natural indigo pigment. Not only does this ensure your shoes stay out of the landfill for at least a little while longer, but you'll also walk around knowing no one else has got a pair quite like yours.
Once your shoes have reached the end of their wearable life, you can bring them into the store to be disposed of in a sustainable manner. Converse has partnered with TreadLightly, an organisation that collects shoes to break down, recycle and extract reusable components for use in products like gym mats, floors and playgrounds.
The space itself also plays into this eco-friendly ethos, with the store being built from locally sourced, recycled and repurposed materials like brick, timber and furniture from the area. Inside, you'll find shoe shelves and recycled planters made from recycled post-consumer plastic waste.