Valentino Drops Two Sneakers Made of Recycled and Plant-Based Materials

Last May, Italian fashion house Valentino announced plans to go fur-free in 2022. Yet it appears that wasn’t the only eco-conscious incentive it had up its sleeve.

The Maison just launched reimagined versions of its Open and Rockstud Untitled sneakers that are partially crafted from recycled and bio-based materials. As a part of its new “Open for a Change” project, the kicks feature uppers and side bands made from viscose and polyurethane of corn-derived polyols as an alternative to leather. Each model’s laces are made of recycled polyester and feature partially recycled rubber soles. Additionally, fans of Valentino’s trademark studs will find that both styles come decked out in recycled nylon versions of the accessory.

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The Open sneakers for men feature side band colors in green and black; there’s also a version without the stripe for those who prefer a more mono look (plain white sneakers are never wrong). Though those three styles solely display white studs along the heel of the footwear, the Rockstud edition goes big with a variety of colored studs. Valentino’s packaging is fully recycled cotton and paper, so Valentino says, with the paper coming from sustainably-managed forests.

Valentino

A further claim towards sustainability is that Valentino’s supply chain used the LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), an method to measures the consequences of a product on the environment throughout its life cycle: the analysis apparently found that bio-based materials created less of an environmental impact than similar products made from traditional fossil fuels

Both reimagined styles debuted during Paris Fashion Week in October last year, as part of a temporary installation in the brand’s Rombaut boutique. Now available in Valentino boutiques worldwide and online, the Valentino Garavani Open for a Change sneakers cost $690 for the Open editions and $850 for the Rockstud Untitled sneaker. Visit the brand’s website for more.

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