Solerebels: Fair designer shoes made of old rubber tires

Solerebels are more than fair shoes.The sustainable label produces its soles from old rubber tires - a craft that has been in Ethiopia for decades.Now a branch has also opened in Hamburg.

When the Hamburg Solerebels store opened a few months ago with only 700 instead of the planned 2700 pairs of shoes, the owners took it with humor and african serenity.The goods are produced in Ethiopia - the rest had no longer made it through customs in time.The designer sneakers, flip flops and slippers in an ethno look are available from around 50 euros-they are now known and popular worldwide.Their design leans against the Ethiopian "Barabasso" - and just like the original, the brine consists of old car tires.

The new branch in Hamburg's trend district ST.Pauli is the twenty-two Solerebels shop worldwide.Previously, the founder Tilahun Alemu had already opened her shoe stores in Silicon Valley, Athens, Taiwan, Singapore and Barcelona - with success.The company is one of the few that was founded in a developing country and now supplies the global market.Solerebels is also one of the fastest growing shoe brands in Africa.

Fair shoes with a story

The founder mainly pursues social goals: Alemu started in 2004 with nothing but a loan and a bold idea - creating jobs for her home.In the small town near Addis Ababa, in the center of the country, well -paid work was difficult to find.In the meantime, Solerebels has received over 300 employees who received four times the Ethiopian minimum wage.

"Usually people who talk about fighting poverty have no relation to the communities in which they want to combat poverty," said Alemu.Her commitment is already causing a stir internationally: Solerebels was the first shoe label of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) certified as a fair trade.

Solerebels gives rubber tires a second life

In Germany, 600 annually.000 altreipes disposed of, but they have not been deposited since 2003.Since then, drivers and manufacturers have been looking for new roads how car tires can be recycled.

In Ethiopia you can already continue: Altroops have been processed into shoe soles for decades.Solerebels now makes this craft accessible to the world market: The company has the soles in Ethiopia manufacture by hand and process it into shoes.From there, the upcycling sneakers, sandals and co hikes.Then in Solerebels stores all over the world.

Upcycling shoes are produced by hand

Solerebels not only support the people in Ethiopia, but also the environment: the workers produce the models by hand- there are no machines with high electricity or petrol consumption.In addition, the company packs its goods in sustainable cotton covers - also by manual work - and also sells many vegan models.

Utopia says: Recycling has never been so stylish

The Solerebels have to put a long way behind them before they end up in our shops - that presses on the climate balance.However, the shoe label produces for a good reason in Africa: they create jobs and numbers of the Ethiopian population just wages.Solerebels shoes consist of sustainable materials, are produced climate-neutral and show what else can be done with creativity and good will.

If you don't live in Hamburg, Solerebels can also shop online.

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Keywords: shoes