Canadian designer Luc Houle has created a line of biodegradable shoes that grow into apple trees when buried into the ground. He calls the brand Johnny Footwear after the famous Johnny Appleseed who planted apple tress across North America in the 1800s.
The shoes are designed with biodegradable latex rubber that takes just 3 years to decompose. That’s a significant improvement from plastic which can last in the environment for 1,000 years. Each half pair of shoes houses an apple seed hidden in the sole that will germinate after it’s buried into the ground.
Important to note that the shoes won’t start to break down while you’re wearing them. They’re designed to only start biodegrading once they are buried in soil and activated by the ground.
Seems kind of weird to bury your pair of shoes after you’re done wearing them, but we’re going to have to start thinking about the products we use differently in this age of climate crisis.
Also, how cool would it be to grow an apple tree in your backyard from a pair of shoes that you wore? Really seems like a win-win all-around.
The shoes retail for $135, and you can read more about them here. You can also check out their Kickstarter which has raised over $73k from over 400 backers.
