Summary

Thaely creates fashionable sneakers using only waste and upcycled materials like plastic bags and plastic bottles. The shoe’s upper body utilizes the upcycled plastic and the shoe’s sole comprises recycled rubber. To create the upper body of the shoe, Thaely has created a new material: ThaelyTex, which is a new fabric that mimics leather but is made entirely out of waste plastic bags. The company claims that the production process does not need any additional chemicals and does not release any toxic chemicals. Each sneaker uses ThaelyTex that’s made using ten upcycled waste plastic bags. The waste plastic bags are collected from housing complexes, offices and stores from in and around Gurugram, India. The collected plastic bags are then segregated, sanitized and processed into ThaelyTex at TrioTap Technologies, Thaely’s partner. (Source) The company works with rag pickers in India and claims to pay them a fair wage for their services and is committed to creating a social impact. (Source)

Story

Founder Ashay Bhave first designed the Thaely shoe as part of a design project. Bhave’s inspiration for Thaely came from witnessing the problem of plastic waste firsthand through his mother’s involvement in a local waste management facility. Based on what he saw at the recycling center, he invented came up with a rough prototype of ThaelyTex, and commissioned a shoe sample from a small shoe repair shop to create a proof of concept. He entered the shoe into a business competition at his university and started the company after seeing investment offers come in after that point.

Pic Credit: Global Indian (right) and Newssense (top)