Made from recycled newsprint, these remarkable and disposable slippers are eco-friendly and cost less than 50 cents each. Since winning a bronze prize from the Industrial Design Excellence Awards (IDEA), Satish Gokahle, the designer of the Solemates, has received interest from manufactures wanting to bring these shoes to market. I so want a pair … or two … or ten of these slippers.
... more on Solemates from BusinessWeek:
In India, it is a tradition to remove the footwear when you enter a house or building. As a host it is a good gesture to offer visitors footwear that is worn only indoors. Solemates is disposable footwear made from recycled newsprint and any other non-laminated paper pulp. It is completely biodegradable. The color is natural and no bleaching agents/chemicals have been used; even the cord and the support tube are made from twisted unbleached paper. Soulmates are an inexpensive and environmentally-friendly alternative for use in hospitals, hotels, software industries, religious places, meditation centers, massage parlors, or on aircraft with long flying routes.
more on Solemates from the Times of India:
Asked about the concept, Gokhale said he saw the need for clean, disposable footwear in hospitals, hotels, software industry, in long-distance flights and other such closed environments, where people have to spend long hours indoors. “Every time you walk into a manufacturing set-up, a software development lab or hospital unit, we are required to remove our footwear. We then wear common, smelly slippers that are unhygienic as they are never cleaned and used by many visitors. The disposable footwear developed by us can be used in these environments. It can also be provided by airlines in long-distance flights and by hotels in their rooms.”
That is... weird. Because here in my country, for 50 cents you can have a rubber sandals instead of disposable one.
Posted by: Ozzie | June 29, 2005 at 08:57 AM
Yes, but for those with an ecologically sensitive mindset, they'd rather use a biodegradable solution. Rubber sandals being used in the environments listed above end up being landfill.
Posted by: Dustin | June 29, 2005 at 09:51 AM
but how often do u really dispose ur rubber slippers??
how lasting will these slippers be?
eco friendly no doubt but in the long run it will prob b more expensive
Posted by: angelsera | July 06, 2005 at 01:52 AM
I don't think this is a solution for people who live/work in these environments. It is a solution for guests. Yes it is more expensive, but each guest gets a pair of unused, sanitary sandals vs. a pair that might have been worn by someone with a strange foot fungus. Worth 50¢ to me.
Posted by: Dustin | July 06, 2005 at 07:41 AM
Does anyone know if these are actually in production and if so where I can order a bulk quantity ie 1-10,000.
Cheers.
Posted by: Jodi | August 09, 2006 at 01:22 PM
Can someone please tell me how these sandals hold up outdoors i.e walking on grass, asphalt etc. And do they rip if they get wet?
Warmest Regards,
Posted by: Vanessa | September 14, 2006 at 09:21 PM
Removing shoes in homes is an excellent custom.
Those sandals are certainly an interesting idea.
Posted by: Matthew C | November 06, 2006 at 04:39 PM
Are 'Solmates' safe to wear anywhere because if they are thin somthing can stick throught your foot e.g a piece of glass.
Posted by: sarah.costantino | November 28, 2006 at 05:16 AM