Indosole Creates Unexpected Value From Upcycled Tires
This Sustainable Brand Has Repurposed Thousands of Tires
Indosole has repurposed nearly 55,000 tires into sustainable shoes. The process involves hiring skilled artisans to build the shoes from natural materials.
Tires take thousands of years to decompose, and in tropical countries, scrapped tires can become hot spots for disease-carrying mosquitoes. Burning tires produce toxic flames and oils.
According to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, more than a billion tires are discarded each year worldwide. So, innovative solutions for managing growing mountains of tire waste are essential for a healthy planet. That realization led to Kyle Parsons’ “Aha” moment.
On a trip to Bali in 2004, Parsons bought a new pair of sandals that had repurposed-tire soles. “When I looked up, I saw motorbikes and cars whizzing past me on the road,” he says. “Looking back down at the sandals, I thought, ‘This is genius.’ I couldn’t believe more people weren’t making shoes this way.”
Parsons founded Indosole in 2009. Today, the company offers a wide range of footwear, including handcrafted sandals and modern boat shoes. Each pair of shoes starts its life where a tire’s life ended.
Indosole shoes are sold throughout the world, and nearly 55,000 tires have been repurposed to create them. Parsons and his team of six full-time employees and 25 craftspeople look forward to reaching their long-term goal of turning 1 million tires into durable shoes.
Hear more about Parsons’ commitment to repurposing waste in his TEDx Talk, “Redesigning Our Consumer Habits.”
This article originally appeared in the “Kudos” department of the fall 2016 issue of B Magazine.
B the Change gathers and shares the voices from within the movement of people using business as a force for good and the community of certified B Corporations. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the nonprofit B Lab.
