In Japan, footwear brand CCILU has unveiled a new boot made out of used coffee grounds. Dubbed XpreSole Panto, the boot’s outsole is made of a vegan leather that is 30% coffee ground waste and 70% EVA and the insole is made from yarn also made from used coffee grounds. Weighing a third of the average boot, the boot is also waterproof and provides high traction. The laces are made from 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate. About 15 cups of used coffee grounds are used in each pair.
The material is also extremely durable; in a machine wash test, CCILU found no damage after 100 cycles.
CCILU chose coffee waste because of its widespread availability. According to Yanko Design, 1,000 tonnes of coffee waste is created daily.
XpreSole Panto is priced around $89. Coffee yarn socks are also for sale.