Pricey Italian kicks feature materials made from goat skin, old carpets

In Italy, luxe apparel brand Premiata has entered the sustainable shoe fray with a sneaker that “explores mythology and our relationship with nature.” 

Dubbed John Low , the shoe is 80% made from renewable or recycled materials such as goatskin, old carpets, and production scraps. 

The mythology angle comes from the company’s efforts to better the future by understanding the past, i.e., looking to older methods and materials used to produce footwear. 

The shoes, which retail for €280 ($330) a pair, also include suede made by an Italian tannery that reduces CO₂ emissions and use of chemicals by recovering and regenerating waste; regenerated post-consumer nylon from fishing nets and old carpets; natural rubber; and biodegradable, organically-tanned goatskin.