With the development of plastic came a utopian promise – that this revolutionary material would change our lives. It has now become so materially ingrained in our lives and environment that it’s becoming increasingly indistinguishable and inseparable from nature. We reflect an image of ourselves through our clothing. The first of our clothing to show signs of damage is footwear. In the eyes of the consumer, a superficial blemish or a shift in the latest trend is all that’s needed to warrant a new purchase.
Contemporary footwear spends barely a fraction of its life hugging a foot. For the majority of its life it is rubbish. Whether in a landfill or washed up on a shoreline, the synthetics within the shoes—in addition to the plethora of plastic we discard—will take centuries to break down.
