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Have you tried anything made from recycled plastic? How about eco-friendly shoes made from old ocean plastic? As you may know, I have been trying to avoid single-use plastic for a few years now, and have gone some way to cutting single-use plastic out of our lives. There is always more work to do of course! But the plastic problem goes way beyond stopping producing single-use plastic as there is so much that’s already been produced. Recycling is a great way to put it to use. So when ethical Austrian company Giesswein offered me some recycled shoes to test and review, I was curious to see how they would feel. Read my review of Giesswein recycled ballet flats to see how I’m getting on with these innovative eco-friendly shoes.
Why Recycled Ocean Plastic?
Much of the plastic humans produce ends up in the ocean, where it causes untold damage. Polyethylene terephthalate (or PET plastic) is a recyclable and reusable non-toxic plastic, and its most common use is clear packaging. By recycling and reusing PET plastic, it should help to cut down production of new plastic, and also keeps it out of landfill.
The bottles are fished out of the South China Sea. Giesswein say “in our first year of production, we were able to take out and recycle over 100,000 bottles from the ocean.”
Unfortunately recycling PET is not the easiest process. And that means that recycled plastic products tend to be expensive, especially when they are produced ethically. Giesswein explain it like this:
“Firstly, PET plastics need to be separated and sorted from all the other types of plastic. It can be a lengthy process and many stages are involved for it to become and be classed as fully recycled. Those key stages include shredding, washing, melting, and pelleting.”
Giesswein
Only then can PET be made in to new items.
“Our Recycled ocean PET plastic meets a 100% biodegradable sole.
Giesswein
By choosing these materials, we sustainably reduce our ecological footprint. Our choice to use recycled materials and looking to new technologies, means we’ve chosen to do something for the environment!
A Note About Giesswein’s Other Eco Credentials
Geisswein don’t just use recycled materials for their products. – they’re best known for ethical and eco-friendly merino wool clothing and shoes. They also stopped using oil to operate their machinery in 2017. This means they don’t use fossil fuels, and their machines have zero emissions.
They also implemented the first water recycling production facility in Austria in 1997. So this means they recycle and reuse up to 90% of the water they use.
Check Out My Eco-Friendly Shoes
OK so enough about the (very important) eco issues. Let’s get on to how these eco-friendly shoes look and feel. Last year I reviewed yoga wear made from recycled plastic, and our living room rug is made from recycled straws. So I am already used to how amazingly versatile this material can be. But even so, I was worried these shoes might feel plasticy. I needn’t have worried. Amazingly these eco-friendly shoes feel like cotton.
The mesh is knitted and had what the company call 3-D stretch so they move with your feet. I wanted to compare the two shapes for comfort. So I have the black round-toe version and the pink pointy version. The pink ones are my favourites as that tiny bit of extra length and the more pointy shape seems to suit my feet better.
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Giesswein Eco-Friendly Recycled Ocean Plastic Shoes Sizing
These eco-friendly shoes have a really clever idea to help you find the perfect fit.
Each pair of flats comes with an extra set of insoles, allowing you to add them if they are a bit big. You just take out the comfy inner sole, add the black extra layer and pop the inner sole back on top. Clever hey? So if you order a 6 like I did, the extra insole makes them a 5 1/2.
I would say these eco-friendly shoes come up quite small so would recommend sizing up. I wear a 6 normally, and that would generally give plenty of room. But these feel snug even without the inner insole. They are really comfy, but I wish I’d sized up as I like a little wriggle room for my toes!
How To Wear Eco-Friendly Recycled PET Shoes
I love how versatile these eco-friendly recycled shoes are. They are easy to match to a casual or smarter outfit. These shoes would be great for work (whenever offices open up again!) They are super light too, so if you had a big handbag you could stash a pair in there to swap for high heels to give your feet a rest.
These shoes are ideal for warmer months. And as they are made of recycled plastic, it doesn’t matter if you you get caught in the rain. Perfect for the UK!
Practical Eco-Friendly Shoes
Another great thing that Giesswein have though of is making these shoes machine washable. Giesswein say you can wash Giesswein flats “in the washing machine (cold water, delicate wash cycle, no fabric softener)”. I haven’t needed to wash mine yet, but if and when I do, I’ll pop them into my Guppy Bag. This is a clever washing bag that catches any plastic fibres that may shed during washing, stopping them from entering the water system.
Where to buy Giesswein Eco-Friendly Ballet Flats
Giesswein Eco-Friendly Ballet Flats are available in two styles, pointy and round, each in 14 shades, in sizes 3 to 9. You can buy the pointy version here. You can buy the round version here. They are more expensive than I would normally buy, however I think they will last me a long time so I think the cost-per-wear would be worth it.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my review of these practical and pretty eco-friendly recycled shoes, why not Pin it for later?