Millions of trainers are being thrown away each year, even before they have been sold. What a waste, thought alumnus Pim and his associate Lorenzo. Together they founded WEAR: a company that steam-cleans trainers ready for a second life.
Saving reusable trainers from the waste mountain
Pim and Lorenzo share a love for trainers, however they also share frustration at the growing waste mountain resulting from wastage in the global shoe industry. That is why WEAR sells ‘refurbished’ trainers, which the entrepreneurs first buy in bulk from collection points and waste processors. You can also come to WEAR to freshen up your favourite pair of kicks.
In their workshop, WEAR trainer cleaners treat your trainers with care and attention. These trainer cleaners are young people who cannot find work so easily elsewhere on the labour market. WEAR offers these young people a training programme that prepares them for the labour market.
Trainers are refurbished by hand
The cleaning is done by hand, because each trainer is unique and made of a different material. 'At WEAR, we use both a professional steamer and a brush with cleaning agent. Did you know that we already have our thousandth cleaned pair in sight? We have learned a lot from all those cleaning sessions,' says Lorenzo.
Mesh is the soft, woven material that you now often encounter on the front side of trainers. Pim and Lorenzo have learned that mesh is difficult to clean completely. 'We now wonder whether the shoe manufacturers intentionally design their trainers that way.'
Social impact through education
Pim and Lorenzo ultimately want to make a positive impact with WEAR by providing employment, education and thus contributing to a sustainable trainer market. They eventually hope to scale up to other large cities in the Netherlands or Europe.
Watch the video and see if there’s a nice pair of refurbished trainers for you!
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