The Brabant shoe industry has come a long way since it started in the Langstraat. The Waalwijk region still has the largest concentration of shoe traders. Of course, a lot has changed in all those years. For example, nowadays mass production has moved to Asia. Van den Breekel Schoenen is now adding to these developments. By working with 360 Circular (part of 360 Group) in Tilburg, an authority in the field of circular up-cycling, we have developed a plastic shoe that can be used to make new shoes.
GO FORWARD
A major change is of course the way shoes are made. Van den Breekel Schoenen has been at the forefront of these developments for years. Ever since our family business started in 1977, we have noticed that things can and must be done differently. At the time, for example, we received many requests from customers for unique shoe concepts, which he saw as an opportunity to finally put his new ideas about shoe production into practice. Meanwhile, Van den Breekel Schoenen is contributing to a fairer and more sustainable footwear industry.
RECYCLABLE SHOES
That is why Van den Breekel developed a recyclable shoe together with Nick van Veggel, director of 360 Circular in Tilburg. 360 Circular specializes in recycling and preserving plastic in a circular way. This means that old shoes can be processed again to become the raw material for new models. This is intended to create up-cycling, a way of recycling whereby the recycled material can be used for similar products. Because we at Van den Breekel found this an interesting initiative, we started to investigate this possibility together with 360 Circular and got to work.
EXPERIENCE
360 Circular and Van den Breekel schoenen B.V. are exactly the right companies to carry out this project. Our family business has years of experience in the textile, plastic and footwear industry and has an extensive network in various production areas. We develop honest and innovative shoe concepts to significantly reduce the ecological footprint of shoe wearers. We do this by focusing on the custom design, development and production of shoes without the use of chemicals. 360 Circular is the authority in the field of chain integration and management and therefore knows better than anyone how up-cycling of plastic waste works. Previous successful projects with Heineken and the Tilburg funfair are examples of this.
COMFORTABLE
But not only the development of sustainable shoes is important to us. At Van den Breekel, we therefore have a vision of the new footwear industry. With various new concepts and prototypes, we want to think more about the end user. We see a need for shoes and trainers that are adapted to the wearer, such as durability and comfort. The shoes we develop are durable and comfortable. For us, that goes hand in hand. It is with this recyclable shoes project that we want to bring our shoes more into line with the wishes of the consumer. The idea is that this will “trigger” our customers, so that they too can contribute to a more sustainable world.
SUSTAINABILITY AND EASE OF USE
At Van den Breekel Schoenen, sustainability and ease of use are high on the agenda. This new project is a wonderful example of that. Are you also curious about the possibilities of a sustainably produced shoe? Then we would like to discuss with you what kind of shoe or trainer concept we could develop with you. Contact us soon with your questions about our unique production method!