Lifecycle of a Shoe: Natalya Amres
Lifecycle of a Shoe Series with eBay Sneakers Sharing tips and advice, our guests shed light on the importance of mindful consumption and the other ways they choose to make an impact. Here’s our chat with Tal Amres, self-taught designer and multidisciplinary artist behind Remixed by Tal, a creative customization service.
Common Ace: What are some ways in which consumers can be more mindful when it comes to sustainability in sneakers and streetwear?
Tal: There are so many ways we can be more mindful when it comes to the sneaker industry and sustainability. For example, if I find a pair of shoes that I no longer have use for I’ll start to brainstorm ways that I can repurpose that item to give it a new life. Some of the creations I’ve made out of sneakers have been sneaker bags, sneaker planters, and sneaker corsets. I’m sure there are so many different possibilities that I haven’t even thought of yet, but that’s one of the many ways that we can be more mindful and not produce more waste when it comes to sneakers.
Common Ace: Who would you say is doing a great job of moving the dial when it comes to sustainability in streetwear?
Tal: A company that I think is doing really well is Adidas. They partnered with a company called Parley and together they’re collecting ocean plastics. So all that plastic garbage that we dumped in the oceans throughout the years? They’re using that and transforming it into yarns. And Adidas is using those yarns to create some of their shoes and garments.
Common Ace: One of the best ways to be mindful is to invest in sneakers you’ll have for a long time. What's one of the most timeless silhouettes in your mind?
Tal: When it comes to purchasing sneakers as a consumer, I think it’s actually really easy to be more mindful. Make sure you’re making purchases that you know you’ll wear for an extended period of time. I personally am not really a sneaker collector. I wear things not just based off aesthetics, but practicality. I could literally wear the same shoe everyday if I could, but luckily enough, I have a wide array to choose from. That said, I do have a few favorite silhouettes.
Common Ace: There’s an immense pressure for people to secure new items as soon as they drop. How do you avoid getting sucked into this “buy new, be first” way of consuming?
Tal: In the sneaker industry, I know that there’s an immense pressure on people to secure the latest drops as soon as they launch. While this is passionate, I think that we can also be more mindful at the same time of over-consuming. One of the easiest ways to do this is just simply be a little more picky with your purchases. Try to go for the things that you’ll get the most longevity out of.
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite picks from eBay Sneakers for this summer. Shop them here.
