The sneakers made from vintage windbreakers

MAKING something new out of something old is the fashion industry's latest fad, helping to reduce waste and the mountains of trash piling up around the world. And this now includes recycling, or rather upcycling, iconic garments from decades past, as an emerging brand is launching its first sneakers made from disused windbreakers.

This upcycling boom is giving a new life to waste of all kinds, while considerably reducing its impact on the environment.

This has been seen in recent months with jackets created from umbrellas, bags made from chip packets, or even jewelry made from electronic waste.

Launched in 2023, an emerging brand stands out in particular by delving into the childhood wardrobe of anyone born in the '80s and '90s, by making sneakers out of disused windbreaker jackets.

An initiative that promises to offer a second life to these retro clothing items.

Sourcing and upcycling

Whether they wanted to or not, children of the '80s and '90s inevitably wore - at some point or another - a windbreaker splashed with bright, eye-catching colors.

This practical and vintage creation gradually gave way to other trendy, more contemporary pieces, before making a resounding return to fashion.

This has been driven by the younger generations' unprecedented infatuation with the '90s, and inspired the Parisian brand BIS* to launch its very first sneaker collection.

Helmed by creative talents Eva Goldberg and Anaïs Dougnac, the label chose to stand out by transforming windbreakers into sneakers.

Individually sourced windbreakers straight out of the '80s and '90s are carefully selected before being upcycled into retro sneakers.

And, on paper at least, the process is quite simple: the windbreakers are cut by hand in a social insertion workshop in Paris, before being entrusted to skilled workers that (re)assemble them into sneakers.

And this is all in the aim of reducing the use of new resources, limiting waste, and preserving the legacy of these iconic garments.

Available from the end of April on the BIS* e-store, these sneakers are made of an 80% recycled polyester lining, a 50% recycled rubber outsole, and a 50% recycled foam insole.

"To select our windbreakers, we go to the site and spend the day sorting through them one by one, by hand. Only the best materials, strongest color combos and patterns are chosen to best represent the era," says Eva Goldberg, co-founder of BIS*, in a statement.

The upcycling boom

In recent months, there have been countless initiatives aimed at reclaiming waste in the fashion industry. And other sectors are gradually getting involved.

The jewelry world, for example, is taking a close interest in electronic waste, while the cosmetics world is looking at food waste to enrich the formulas of personal care products and perfumes.

Meanwhile, new technologies are using waste as a basis to develop batteries and other more eco-friendly devices.