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Biodegradable Sneakers Sprout Flowers When Planted
Zothecula writes "People may joke about their dirty old sneakers turning into science projects or mini ecosystems, but once OAT Shoes' compostable sneakers become commercially available within the next several weeks ... let's just say, those same people may no longer be joking when they make those kind of statements. Made using hemp, cork, bio-cotton, certified biodegradable plastics, chlorine-free bleach and other nontoxic materials, the shoes are designed to completely break down when buried in the ground – the first batch will even come with seeds in their tongues, so that wildflowers will sprout up in commemoration of users' planted, expired kicks."
"Made using hemp....."
How long before teenagers start smoking their shoes?
It makes sense that they would sprout flowers considering my shoes end up smelling like fertilizer after I've worn them too long.
How long are these shoes expected to last under normal use? I have shoes that I bought four years ago, and aside from replacing the insoles a few times, they're perfectly fine. No reason to toss them out. I'm not sure how viable a product these would be if they need to be replaced every few months because they're disintegrating.
Love sees no species.
Let's not kid ourselves, this will get you laid in the right social circles.
Good way to introduce invasive species.
How much of a pollution footprint do these generate *during production*?
Fungi fun guy paul stamets has invented and sells a cardboard box then when planted first grows a crop of mushrooms, then old growth forest trees.
http://www.lifeboxcompany.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customatix
My friend worked for them circa 2001-2003. People thought they were going to blow up. Problem is, the kids want shoes that they have heard of. Addidas, Vans, Nike. Screw the environment if you are going to look like a dork.
I think they could bring to the next level though. Tree seeds! The world needs more forests, clearly. Although I fear that implanting walnut seeds or pine-cones may too drastically affect the aerodynamics of the sneaker. But at least it would be for a good cause.
Last time i tried to put my seeds on someones shoes I was put in jail for a quite a long while. So unfair :(
'Bio-cotton?' As opposed to what? Is that a way of saying organic cotton in other cultures? Also, what advantage does organic cotton have over regular cotton when used for shoes? The feel good factor, I suppose. Anyway, wouldn't the seeds in the tongue be a problem when they start sprouting from the moisture/sweat from your feet?
There's flowers growin' out of 'em!
Information wants to be expensive AND wants to be free. So you have Value vs. Cheap distribution fighting each other.
That tread pattern looks like it's going to make your ass glide like an ice skater when you take a step on wet cement.
Motorcycles, Robots, Space Gossip and More!
Look on the bright side. At least your shoes will always smell like flowers instead of stinky feet. No more odor eaters needed.
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
That is amazing!
"I say we take off, nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."
Go barefoot. It is healthy, clean, fun, cheap, easy, etc. The dangers that you will undoubtedly list in response to this are not dangerous at all, I, and many people I know, have spent years walking long distances, even running them, totally barefoot on everything from gravel to bushwhacking to hot asphalt. Shoes collect sweat and hold it against the skin, in a dank, warm, dark environment. Perfect for growing fungus and bacteria. The feet of a barefooter look leaps and bounds better those of a shoe-person.
So seriously, if you want to be environmentally friendly, just stop wearing shoes altogether.
Where is the mod rating for "scary"? Also,
What will most likely happen when you plant your shoes is that you'll get a crop of plants native to Asia, which will quickly become agricultural pests in your part of the world.
Those who do study history are doomed to stand helplessly by while everyone else repeats it.
Am I the only one who immediately thought of Grim Fandango and sproutella darts?
... if they come in size 14 - but only because I can't afford to be picky. Stupid bell curves.
Someone who runs 10 - 20 miles / week is supposed to replace their shoes at least twice / year
...hemp seeds and acorns.
Their they're doing there hair.
It brings new meaning to the phrase "Don't make me plant my boot up your rear!"
Unless you plan to bury your shoes in a hot-house, you've only got a small window in which you can bury them and get flowers. And that can depend on the seeds involved.
Four years may not be entirely unreasonable for my shoes either. How long would it be reasonable to expect the seeds to remain viable, given the various environments shoes have to put up with.
I'm also curious about whether there can be problems of "early germination". If I wade through too many puddles and leave my shoes in a warm-but-humid environment, am I going to come back to find them "running back to nature" without me?
Still, it's a nice thought.
So now my shoes turn to crap even faster than normal? Great idea, idiots.
Time to throw out my sneakers again, begonias are sprouting out of the heel, and tulips are between my toes.
(If at first you don't succeed, do it different next time!)
how good these flowers are at holding off zombies.
How do you prevent the flowers in question from becoming an invasive species?
If these shoes are to be distributed widely the ideal design would incorporate seeds local to a given region in which they are used... glad to hear that only the first batch will have the seeds.
I think of that old SNL commercial when I hear about this.
0- Eamonman Proud member of DNRC
Moses supposes his toses are roses, but Moses supposes erroneously, Moses he knowes his toeses aren't roses, as Moses supposes his toeses to be.
Evasive species destroying local eco system do to shoes.
I'm just being tongue in cheek here.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
yes, my sneakers grow things shortly after I start wearing them.
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
if the seeds don't grow? I mean, if they're targeting the tree-hugging crowd, shouldn't there be some guarantee the shoes will sprout as advertised?
The reason it is called weed is because it is and yes, it is potent. Obviously a wild plant is not going to be as intensely potent as something bred for potentcy and grown in "optimal" conditions. However, the potency is plenty sufficient. The same goes for Papovar Somniferum aka the Opium Poppy. The DEA and other anti-drug liars like to say things like it is a "fact" that these plants do not grow wild except in Colombia or some place like that. But that is just their little way of rationalising their absurd law that actually criminalises weeds. Because these plants are so prolific and common it is common for "innocent" people to be growing them in their garden - especially the poppy flower. The only difference between "evil" drug cultivation and "innocent" flower gardening is the awareness of the full use of the plant. Hence, it is the knowledge that makes it illegal. Effectively the DEA then has the job of fighting against knowledge with disinformation or "drug facts" that conflate Heroin with Opium, Hemp with THC Cannabis etc etc.
As well, the prohibition is what leads to the higher potency as more dense narcotic effect is really most useful when you have contraband that needs to be hidden. Heroin, crack, and other high potency drugs are going to be a lot less popular if they are legal. Alcohol is a good analogy. Alcohol is partially criminalised. For underage drinkers it is, adults not. Adults mostly drink beer and wine with relatively low potency. If they drink hard liquor it is more often a sipping drink or mixed with flavours that weaken the potency. Underage drinking is a different story. The cheapest most potent gutrot is the best formula for booze when your supply is limited. Of course its not like this across the board (for instance addicts) but generally when people are allowed to take what they prefer (instead of just what they can get their hands on) they are going to choose something more moderate. One could go on.
Stupidity is its own reward.
It'll be till parents can't use "shoes don't grow on trees, you know" when they don't want to get new shoes for their kids.
You're trekking through a wet landscape for a few days, and the seeds start sprouting out of your shoes. (Hope they're not bamboo shoots, 'cos that'd just be torture.)
What if the shoes start degrading while on your feet? I could see this becoming a fashion trend - celebrities wearing shoes with flowers growing on them!
I hope they don't include some invasive species in the tongue of their shoes.
So many trackers on that web site, no? Why not link to the company itself, which seems to be in early stages. Its like people make up topics that they know will get traffic and then load a web site site up with trackers. Is that really a business model?
No Inflation Taxation without Representation
she'd say "If you just keep standing there you're gonna take root". She always was ahead of the curve when it came to stuff like this.
I expected the people who thought of this would make them only fairly attractive. I like the look of them, I'd rock them even if they weren't biodegradable
Whatever plants they sprout can't be native to everywhere. This sounds like a great way to spread invasive species. Way to protect nature, jerk!
you can't conceal 'pot' plants next to hemp cause it will be fertilized by aforementioned hemp, thus causing it to cease thc production. as for Marinol, its synthetic thc--nowhere near as effective. oh, and most politicians where teenagers once.
I love the idea but living in the rather rainy North of the UK I can't imagine it would be a very good idea to have shoe that start to degrade in a damp environment.
Surely hemp is more likely to sprout weeds
How much of a pollution footprint do these generate *during production*?
Whenever something green comes out, everybody is ready to fire their critical questions.
Whenever something made of oil and animal skin, looking identical, everybody goes: "Oh well, we know it pollutes, but we don't really care how much it pollutes. We know it's made in poor countries by kids, but I don't really care how bad their situation is".
But when it's claimed to be made green and sustainable - oh boy, then it'd better be perfect, otherwise we'll bury it under hypocritical comments!
All consumables should be like this, shirts, pants, shoes etc.... all should be made of stuff that degrades, forget the rine stones and all the rest....it would be really nice to see more companies think like this....make it really green to buy their stuff. If only Nike or Adidas coudl follow suit....I prefer Lugz, but I doubt they will have a pot plan coming out anytime soon...
Looks like they are only going to be available in Europe initially.
"You killed my yogurt!" --Fred Fredburger
Well I've got a pair of converse basketball boots which are 20 years old. I originally got them in a sale for about £ 20 (probably $ 30 at the time) and I used to play basketball in them until the heels of the soles wore out (about 17 years ago).
So I resoled them (glued on some new soles) and from then on they've been my pushbiking shoes. And I've just had to touch up the soles with ShoeGoo where they were leaking slightly and I expect to get another 10 years or so out of them.
I wash them every year and they smell fine. The leather has become a little scuffed, the lining isn't as great as it could be (I've always used insoles which helps) but overall they're great.
I just wish I could get another pair like 'em.
Actually both indica and sativa have cultivars that are useful as recreational drugs. My understanding is the hemp is produced from sativa, but different cultivars than those meant to be smoked.
How viable would the seeds be after a year or so of wear? For non-running shoes, I can easily get a year and probably more of life before I'd be ready to compost them, and I have to think that the germination rate wouldn't be that great after so long.
But if they just use zinnias or marigolds or whatever I doubt anyone has too much to worry about.
I really like the idea of it, however when travelling internationally there is commonly a requirement to declare good such as vegetables and seeds.
I can see it now, flying for 12 hours to get to your destination you arrive at the airport walk up to the last stage of security and a bored official asks "Anything to declare?"
you reply honestly "My shoes have a few seeds planted in them."
with a curt nod in the direction of garbage bin "Throw them in there." and then you try to argue your case. . .
Let's just say that if the tongues of your shoes get (and stay) consistently wet enough to sprout seeds, you've got bigger problems than flowers growing out of your shoes. Like, say, trench foot. Most seeds need to stay fairly damp, consistently, for a while, to sprout.
Right. After all, it's a well-known fact that no barefoot person in history has ever injured their feet.
Whatever, dude. Don't want to wear shoes? Fine, don't. But lets not pretend that wading around streams "full of rusted metal and glass" without injury is anything more than good luck on your part. Or that going barefoot makes you somehow morally superior to us shoe-wearing clods.
It seems that my sweaty boot rash won't do too well with this. I'll be walking for a few hours and stems will start to grow overnight. If I don't leave the house for a week, which isn't that uncommon, I might end up having to mow my shoes before leaving -- as if it wasn't bad enough to mow my chest (think Austin Powers).
When I travel internationally, they want to know if I'm carrying food, plants or animals, if I've been near a farm or similar in the last 3 months, etc. Even some states in my country have no-transit zones for food and fruit to limit the spread of noxious plants and animals.
These shoes may require an internationally recognisable "live-bioplasm!" warning badge so Customs people can confiscate and destroy them!
Why can't we let people believe whatever they like? It's not like a little religion has ever hurt anyone.
Seeds of scotch broom! (Washington joke)