What if you could plant your old sneakers and watch them bloom into the brightest flowers in your garden? That’s the question Dutch brand OAT Shoes set out to answer by creating the world’s first biodegradable shoes that grow wildflowers once they’re worn out.

OAT shoes made the headlines after launching during the Amsterdam Fashion Week's Garden Fashion Competition. With a memorable show featuring 'Adam and Eve saving the Tree of Life' in OAT shoes, the brand won both a €15,000 prize and widespread recognition. Dealers across the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium quickly came on board of OAT's mission to reimagine our relationship with the things we wear.

The brand was founded in 2010 by Dutch designer Christiaan Maats, who strived to tell better stories through design. He believed that product design could provoke questions and shift perspectives, much like a powerful narrative. As a result, at the heart of OAT Shoes is a simple yet transformative idea. Products should live and die like all things in nature, with purpose, beauty, and renewal.

What Makes OAT Shoes Different?

Unlike most footwear on the market, OAT Shoes are made from natural, biodegradable materials. Once they’re worn out, you don’t bin them but bury them. The shoes break down into the soil, and embedded wildflower seeds begin to sprout, leaving behind no waste, just the beauty of wildflowers.

Here's what OAT has created so far:

• Virgin Collection: This is their original, minimalist range, designed with natural fibres and launched with the mission to reunite industry with nature.

• Second Skin Collection: This range introduced a biodegradable leather upper, created in collaboration with Dutch tannery Hulfshof and backed by innovation funding.

• Bloom Collection: This is a summer-ready line of light sneakers, simple in both form and function, to make sustainable footwear more accessible.

But... Why Is OAT So Quiet?

Despite receiving significant recognition, OAT Shoes faced production and financial challenges, which are common obstacles faced by startups. Therefore, operations have been paused for a while.

Still, the vision never disappeared. Founder Christiaan Maats has since turned his focus to supporting other changemakers, sharing his knowledge through lectures, workshops, and coaching. And now, OAT is once again exploring new ways to bring its mission to life.

A New Way Forward

At a time when the fashion industry continues to battle with pollution, overproduction, and waste, the story of OAT Shoes reminds us that innovation doesn’t always need to scale. It just needs to inspire.

“We don’t just want to make great products. We want to show people the kind of future we can live in.” OAT Shoes

So while the shelves may be empty for now, the seed has been planted.

All Images: OAT

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