Next steps for ‘biocircular’ footwear brand
Following the launch of its debut shoe this summer, Swiss footwear brand Solk has expanded with new colours and the launch of a consumer-facing web shop.
Founders David Solk and Irmi Kreuzer have used their 30 years of footwear sector experience to design and create a “biocircular” shoe, where every element is “compost compatible”.
The shoes are produced in a company-owned factory in Vietnam, and at the end of life, can be returned to be composted in a company-owned composting facility in Germany.
The outsole is natural rubber and the lining is a custom-developed blend of compostable yarns and plant fibres. The laces and webbings have been made from Lenzing’s Tencel wood pulp, and the glue is partially bio-based. The upper is a chrome-free leather specially developed by a German tannery.
The first design, the Fade 101, is now available in an expanded palette and retails at €285. Alongside ember, black, ivory and sand, the collection now includes navy, stone and olive.
The Fade 201 (pictured) is a new low-profile silhouette with a slimmer fit, available in ivory, sand, navy, black and dusty rose, claret and tan. The Fade 201 retails at €265.
