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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."
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?
So broken glass, sharp rocks etc, how do you deal with those?
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!"
Umm...I don't step on them when barefoot?
What device do you use to detect very small pieces of glass, especially the clear kind from car headlights that often ends up on sidewalks after accidents?
Or you could just wear flip-flops. Eliminates the sweat problem AND the dangerous surface problems. And you can wear them in stores that say "shoes required."
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.
Go barefoot. It is healthy, clean, fun, cheap, easy, etc
No no no NO! Wrong! The use of the shoe has been used going as far back as 8000 BC and maybe even to 40,000 BC. And there's a reason. Thorns cut and rocks hurt. They also lead to infection and WORMS should you be walking around in shallow freshwater with a cut. Some regions on Earth maybe more safe than others, but it's always risky regardless. Hence why man invented the shoe so long ago.
Now with modern materials, you can still have that free feeling of running barefoot with barefoot running shoes. Just Google them. They're supposed to be the next fad in sportswear.
Life is not for the lazy.
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.
I think of that old SNL commercial when I hear about this.
0- Eamonman Proud member of DNRC
What device do you use to detect very small pieces of glass, especially the clear kind from car headlights that often ends up on sidewalks after accidents?
Feet.
Not a lot of glass to avoid thousands of years ago.
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
No, it's not. You are fucking up your feet.
Have you looked at the feet of people that never wear shoes? I have and it's nasty. The have a hell of a lot of foot problems.
People invented foot wear for a reason. Which goes back 1000's of years.
research this shit, don't just spew what you 'think' is right.
Start here:
http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4185
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Yeah, they are and they aren't good for your feet.
Better then bare foot, but no support causes pains in the knees and back later in life.
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?
Hominids have been walking barefoot for 1.5 million years. We had simple sandals, thin leather, to make running long distances easier. Right now we don't have that, we have thick, obstructive, ridiculous blocks of plastic.
Also, thin slivers of wood, cactus needles, rocks, and obsidian, snakes, and any other harmful things to step on. People dealt with it, and shoes were at most for occassional use, or very cold weather. Not this 24/7 obsession with the beastly shit.
Where is the mod rating for "scary"? Also,
Anything that small doesn't penetrate the skin.
Where is the mod rating for "scary"? Also,
People didn't wear shoes for a very long time, and even sandals are newer than most people think.
Thank you. That simple comment just had me
Switch back to Slashdot's D1 system.
Lots 'o rocks though.
Those are all completely false allegations. First of all, anything large you can avoid stepping on, and anything small doesn't penetrate the skin. Worms need an opening to get through, and in primitive peoples entered most often from the food people ate, not from the surface of the skin.
Also, shoes increase the likelihood of getting an injury infected. Shoes are, like I said, warm, dark, and dank. Perfect for bacteria to grow and multiply. Wearing shoes keeps the injuring material in the foot, and the hazard carries bacteria from the shoe into the wound.
Also, the furthest back record of shoes is 10,000 years ago, and in those cases all that was found was simple, flexible leather soles. The first record of closed toed shoes was only 3,000 years ago, and the first record of rigid soled shoes was purely high fashion around the past few hundred years, but barefooting has been standard behavior for almost everyone in society everywhere in the world except China and parts of the Arab world for all but the past 40 years.
It appears you are not only clueless, but deluded, moronic, and prone to make snap judgements when you have no information pertaining to the subject at hand. It is people like you that have allowed sick bastards to work their way into our legal system for the express purpose of making the rich richer at the expense of everybody else in society, while hurting business, markets, consumers, the environment, and long term economic and political stability. You should be ashamed.
Also, I have a pair of Vibram 5 fingers only because footwear is required in my chemistry labs, and for a research project I did last semester that involved studying an urban stream full of rusted metal, glass, and crap like that that was obstructed from view by murky water and mud. For everyday walking, I much prefer to keep my feet out in the open air, showing off my wonderfully well kept feet and bold colors of nail polish. Not in those disgusting foot coffins thank you.
Where is the mod rating for "scary"? Also,
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!
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!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barefoot
How in the hell did you get modded up? Mods are on crack today.
Life is not for the lazy.
Bullshit.
I thought I had a tiny splinter in my heel a few months ago, which was seriously annoying me when I wanted to go get shitfaced.
Couldn't see it with my own eye, and couldn't feel it sticking out with my finger.
Went to my local doc who numbed my foot, made a tiny incision and pulled out a 3cm glass shard out of my heel.
The thing was around half a milimeter wide; and the only reason I could actually see it up close was because it was covered in blood.
YMMV, of course, but if I couldn't see that from half a meter, I doubt you'd be able to see it on the pavement.
Unless you're a midget.
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.
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...
You may not agree with him, but sickeningly biased? His main point seemed to be that "the jury is still out" and that some of the benefits listed in the materials presented by proponents are unproven.
Looks like they are only going to be available in Europe initially.
"You killed my yogurt!" --Fred Fredburger
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.
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.
Assuming that was attacking me (as it was a response to my message) then let me just say that that is totally fallacious. I know podiatrists and have been going barefoot for years, as have hundreds of others on www.barefooters.org and none of us have ever had a parasite issue, none of us have ever run into anything but minor injuries and cuts (nothing comparable to a broken ankle though), and it foot wear does far more harm than good.
Take this for example: Going barefoot, there is a *small chance* of minor injury like cuts and scrapes. Wearing shoes, there is a *large chance* of major injuries like broken ankles, permanent ankle, knee, hip, back joint damage and it is *inevitable* that you will acquire fungal infections of the foot wearing closed shoes more than 2 hours a day.
I would take small chance of minor injury over large chance of major injury and inevitable health problems in eventuality.
All parasites that enter the human body do so through the digestive track, from either end, with a few exceptions that enter the body anywhere on the skin, and those are far more likely to penetrate the thin skin of the arms, legs, chest, stomach, back, than they are to enter the very thick, strong skin on the soles of the feet or the palms of the hand.
But don't let facts stop you.
Where is the mod rating for "scary"? Also,
And let me guess, you wear shoes all the time? The skin on your feet is probably what, 1/8 of an inch thick? 1/16th? That is not natural. The skin on my feet is more like 1/4 inch thick, soft and leathery, and I have never gotten a sliver in 2 years of urban barefooting, walking over broken glass for part of my walks every single day, traversing more than 2 miles per day. So Bullshit on you.
Where is the mod rating for "scary"? Also,
Thats just it, the jury isn't still out, there are enormous piles of research, not to mention anecdotal evidence from people who haven't worn shoes for years, in environments from woodland trails to urban wastelands, never with any issues, everything from walking to sprinting.
Second, there has never been a study, a research paper, or any evidence whatsoever that footwear can provide any kind of help whatsoever, but tons of evidence that shoes are incredibly harmful.
I read through the article he posted, and it was full of hate language, the language was angry and just smelled of bias, and the information presented was the same old urban myths about the possible benefits of shoes that have never been proven, but are often disproven.
Where is the mod rating for "scary"? Also,
Interesting thought. Try wearing a mitten on your non-dominant hand for 8 hours a day, except splint it so that your hands can't move at all and put in supports to mold to the shape of your hand. I give it 30 days before your hand is so weak that trying to type with it causes pain and gets sore after more than a few words. Arch supports serve no purpose besides stopping the muscles in your feet from working.
When I ditched shoes, the pain that I had in my joints when I wore shoes disappeared, and I can now exercise many hours a day and live my life pain free. Shoes were slowly destroying my health. Many barefooters have done it for decades and are reporting positive results into their 60s, and even 70s.
Where is the mod rating for "scary"? Also,