Croatian ecological sneakers a hit

MIRET – Croatian eco-friendly sneakers a hit

Hrvoje and Domagoj Boljar, MIRET founders and brothers from Croatia are footwear industry insiders with activist hearts and competence for changing the industry by making the only logical step.

Entrepreneurism in the footwear industry was a legacy inherited from their father, but after years of manufacturing sneakers for the most famous high-end brands in the world, MIRET brothers had a radical realization – the footwear industry is apocalyptic for nature, human and the Earth.

MIRET co-founders Domagoj and Hrvoje Boljar

Dark side of footwear

Polyester is made from oil and can harm human health in direct skin contact, it is a source of microplastics that pollute the ground, seas, air, water and ultimately end up on our plates. Leather is natural but is tanned with toxic chemicals to prevent bacteria from eating it up. The Footwear Market Report concludes that the raw materials that are commonly used in the manufacturing of footwear include suede leather, tanned leather, rubber, fur, and textile fabrics. Leather footwear accounts for larger market share as compared to the non-leather footwear made of materials such as rubber, textile fabrics, and similar others.

The horrible realization and disturbing data set Hrvoje and Domagoj Boljar on a five-year long journey. MIRET brothers decided to change the industry, the setting and themselves. They decided to create sneakers compatible with nature. Using their manufacturing expertise they succeeded to redesign sneakers from the bottom up.

Natural materials are the only logical step Combination of MIRET nature’s strongest fibers and materials ensure comfort and durability, but most importantly a low impact on the environment. Croatian ecological sneakers are hand-made from 10 different plants and materials: hemp, kenaf, linen, cork, wood, corn, jute, eucalyptus, rubber tree, and wool from New Zealand.

MIRET

Four varieties of ecological sneakers

Super 97% ecological sneakers are all identical in anatomy, but there are four different varieties of outer layer materials: Hempies, Woolies, Fluffies, and Veggies.

1. Hempies are VEGAN-friendly

MIRET developed a pure hemp textile for Hempies upper: naturally breathable, strong but soft, anti-bacterial and with a low environmental impact. Grown on European farms and fully processed in Europe while maintaining every stage of the manufacturing process as healthy as possible to the individual and to the environment. Hemp gets softer the more you wear it and provides natural optimal temperature regulation. MIRET hemp is completely unbleached and undyed.

Hempies

2. Fluffies and Woolies are VEGETARIAN-friendly

MIRET Fluffies and Woolies upper is 100% wool from New Zealand. Fluffies are certificated with Oeko-tex, EU Ecolabel certificate and Woolies with Oeko-tex®, EU Ecolabel® and with the most rigorous ecological certification Cradle to Cradle™ which guarantees the highest possible standards of safety for animals and the environment.

Fluffies

3. Veggies are VEGAN-friendly

MIRET Veggies sneakers are made from vegan biodegradable textile, developed specifically for the brand. The Cradle to Cradle™ certified material is strong and durable enough to replace the standard polyester textile and can be composted when the sneakers are discarded. The laboratory tests showed the plants grow better when MIRET material is mixed with soil.

Durable and comfortable

MIRET outsole contains no oil-based synthetic rubber. It is pure 100% natural latex harvested from rubber trees. This makes the outsole softer and more flexible than any other rubber out there. MIRET ultra-light insole is ergonomically shaped, made out of cork throughout and protected by a natural textile. It even has a certificate for food safety, so a dog can chew on them safely.

MIRET

Easy to maintain

The water-repellent layers usually used in the sneaker industry are petroleum-based and harmful to the environment, especially for aquatic life. MIRET sneakers are protected with a special 100% natural water-repellent layer, so people can use them even when it rains. The layer degrades naturally with zero impact on the environment.

Wide range of sizes

MIRET made sure that the whole family can wear 97% ecological sneakers by making them in a wide range of sizes. When Hrvoje and Domagoj decided to make a change in the shoe industry, they knew that everyone on board is important.

MIRET

Ethically and hand-made crafted in Croatia

MIRET manufacturing partners come from nine European Union countries and all of them are thinking green. MIRET 97% ecological sneakers are hand-made in Croatia.

This week MIRET launched their crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, and in less than 48 hours raised more than $43,000 from over 378 backers. The campaign still has another 28 days to go. You can check it out here.  

MIRET