The fashion industry is known for bold designs and luxurious materials, but it has a hidden issue with sustainability. Many materials and processes, especially in mass-produced clothing, accessories, and footwear, harm the environment. Even rubber soles, when discarded, can have a lasting negative impact. While these materials won’t vanish overnight, artistic stools made from discarded soles help reduce waste and create meaningful, eco-friendly furniture.
Each year, 20 billion pairs of shoes are made, most of which eventually end up in landfills. Footwear is typically made from several synthetic materials, with rubber soles taking over 100 years to decompose. Burning them releases toxic gases, which is common in waste disposal sites. While recycling still requires water and energy, it’s a much better way to manage this waste.
WU is a line of stools that repurposes discarded shoe soles into unique designs. Each stool is made from 90% recycled rubber, using around 15kg of material, equal to 60 shoe soles. Though small compared to the shoes thrown away, just 10 stools keep 600 shoes out of landfills.
The design is intriguing. The materials are sorted by color for a uniform look, but subtle color bits and textures still stand out. Unlike recycled plastics that create a terrazzo effect, the recycled rubber soles have finer, grainy pieces, resembling an oil-painted or concrete-like texture.
The WU stool has a unique design with a hexagonal seat and a three-pointed base. The stools can be combined to form a bench, though the connection is more decorative than stable. When grouped together, they create a striking, mosaic-like visual effect. It’s hard to believe these stools were once discarded shoes.
