We do know how much coffee ground waste are being generated by coffee drinkers, but if there’s a way of reducing that waste, it is a welcome news to us. Reducing coffee ground waste is exactly what this pair of kicks called Rens does. Wait. Coffee? How? Well, a Helsinki-based start up have pioneered a way to leverage on coffee grounds to make Rens.
Each pair of Rens feature an upper made from a mixture of coffee yarn (made from used coffee grounds) and recycled polyester made with post-consumer plastic. On top of that, there’s a coffee-infused inner lining designed with a breathable, ultra-lightweight material. All told, each pair uses 300g of coffee grounds and around 6 x 20oz/500ml recycled plastic bottles.
Apparently, coffee has a bunch of benefits, including creating “micro-pockets” that trap odors and hence, creating an odor-free kick and it also has natural antimicrobial properties, so it also kind of helps to disinfect the footwear. In addition, it has UV-blocking properties too, thus ensuring colors of the kicks stay brighter for longer. And the “micro-pockets” mentioned earlier also aid in the outer layer of the shoe to dry 200 percent fast over regular polyester.
If quick drying aren’t enough, Rens Original has also included a waterproof layer (lined with coffee material, of course) into the mix, making the shoes 100 percent waterproof too. So the result is a pair of trendy footwear that is waterproof, anti-odor, lightweight (it’s 460g or 16 oz, a pair, if you really need to know) and well, sustainable. No. It probably does not smell of coffee.
Other notables include a flexible and stretchy construction, hand-washable, heel loop/puller for easy slip on and off, foam outsole with rubber grip, 100 percent vegan, removable insole (also made with coffee grounds, btw), and a unisex design. Because of its anti-odor nature and the 4-way stretch knit material, Rens is awesome with or without socks.
You can find Rens Waterproof Shoe on Kickstarter where it can be pre-ordered $89-99 a pair. At the time of this writing, the campaign is already a little over 670 percent funded and so, it is a pre-order which Rens is hopeful to have it delivered to backers in November 2019.
All images courtesy of Rens Original.
Submitted via TIP US Page.