Today we’re highly obliged to introduce people behind Terra Plana, who constantly strive to make sure that you even walk green, but in style. The company, winner of the Observer Ethical Fashion product of the Year 2007, designs ecofriendly shoes made of natural latex, recycled foam foot beds, locally sourced materials, recycled fabrics and E-leather – an Eco-revolutionary blend of leather and textile fibers re-woven are employed for the concretization of the products. Check out what they have to say about the innovative products below and go green…
1. What is the story behind Terra Plana?
Terra Plana: A seventh generation shoe maker from Somerset, shoemaking is undeniably in Galahad’s blood. He learnt the family trade as a young man, spending summer holidays on various production lines in Northampton and Italy. After finishing school in Somerset, a Morehead Scholarship lead him across the Atlantic to University where he earned a degree with honors in Chinese and Anthropology, from the University of North Carolina in 1999. There, among other pursuits, he founded the organization ‘Students 4 Students International’ to implement charitable student-run humanitarian projects in Africa, starting with a scholarship fund that would allow gifted yet disadvantaged students in Zimbabwe to attend the best schools in Africa and go on to university.
After spending a college summer in Taiwan and China studying language and shoe technical development, Galahad went on to design and developed ‘Wu-Shoes’ for rap/hip-hop trailblazers, The Wu Tang Clan.
After returning from China in 2002, Galahad became involved with Terra Plana. A struggling shoe brand making classic men’s shoes, with a design twist. Galahad was attracted to the principles of Terra Plana: a respect for artisan shoe constructions, eco friendly materials and modern design elements.
In 2003, he took over the running of Terra Plana and set about transforming the fortunes of the brand, reinventing the product range, introducing specific new concepts and developing the ladies collection. Every product was designed with a sustainable concept in mind and eco friendly materials were actively sourced from all corners of the world. Sustainable design, according to Galahad, is just ‘good design’, products that are efficient, durable, light, enjoyed by users and don’t cause any unnecessary harm.
On the lookout for other interesting footwear projects, Galahad teamed up with Rem D Koolhaas and so United Nude was born. With studios in London, UK and Guangzhou, China, United Nude has been designing and producing iconic ladies footwear since 2003. Looking to architectural design for inspiration, the United Nude catalogue includes footwear such as the Mobius, Eamz & Stealth. Iconic silhouettes, with a clear concept, elegance and innovation.
2. Terra Plana won The Observer newspaper’s Award for Ethical Fashion Product 2007, how has this kind of popularity benefited the company?
Terra Plana: The main thing for Terra Plana in winning this award was to inform people that ethical can be fashionable and is available for everyone. I think people have started to take what we are doing at Terra Plana more seriously since winning the award, and a lot of people have heard about the award and become curious and have therefore gone on the website to check out what we do.
3. Terra Plana shoes are environmentally friendly, which is really rare in the shoe making business. I’m curious to know, which all materials do you make use of?
Terra Plana: Vegetable tanned leather.
Chrome Free Dyes.
Non Toxic Glues.
Recycled materials i.e ex military jackets, coffee bags, bicycle tires, seat belts, recycled quilts etc.
4. VivoBarefoot and Dopie are two concepts that you have developed to meet barefoot needs, please expatiate a little o’er them?
Terra Plana: Recently the Dopie, collaboration with industrial designer Matthew Harrison is a new concept sandal offering the wearer a refreshing and more comfortable variation of the traditional flip-flop.
VivoBarefoot by Terra Plana features an ultra thin, puncture resistant sole, so you can get all the benefits of shoes while enjoying all the:
ADVANTAGES OF WALKING VIVOBAREFOOT
Strengthens the muscles in your feet- Normal shoes restrict your feet’s natural movements.
Realign your posture- Our bodies are perfectly designed to stand barefoot – not tilted in shoes.
Stimulate the 200,000 nerve endings in the soles of your feet- An advanced feedback loop corrects poor walking habits from thick soled shoes.
Enhance your sex drive- The gentle massage of key points under your feet stimulates all your senses!
Vivobarefoot shoes, in contrast to barefoot competitors (Nike Free and M.B.T) is the only shoe that actually feels like you are genuinely barefoot – you can literally feel the ground through the 3mm sole.
5. Please acquaint our readers with E-leather? How can it be an eco revolutionary leather by-product?
Terra Plana: Worn Agains unisex footwear is now made from E-Leather: an Eco-revolutionary blend of leather and textile fibers re-woven and finished to be practically indistinguishable from quality natural leather. E-leather is produced with best practice pollution prevention methods.
Worn Again is collaboration between designer shoe company TERRA PLANA and ANTI-APATHY, a non-profit social and environmental awareness organization. Launched in 2005, the unisex trainers are made from 99% recycled material such as prison blankets, T-shirts, army jackets and coffee bags.
Worn Again continues to receive massive interest on a global scale, and was voted ‘NUMBER ONE ECO FASHION BRAND’ by The Independent Newspaper. Part of the profits generated from Worn Again help to support Anti-Apathy’s innovative public outreach work, which aims to inspire and engage a wider audience in social and environmental issues and 18 pence from the sale of every pair of Worn Again products goes to the Climate Care to offset carbon emissions from the manufacture and transport of the shoes.
6. As I went through your website, I saw an array of amazing designs, so here I’d like to ask, do you have some designers especially employed for the task?
Terra Plana: We have two designers, Ajoy Sahu (Creative Director) who worked for Prada Sport & Asher Clark (Head Designer) who won Young Shoe Designer of the year 2003, they both have a great design style and working relationship which I think comes through in the products. They also design shoes for: Paul & Joe, Firetrap, Kenzo, DKNY, Le Caf.
7. Besides selling eco- friendly shoes, what else does your company spills?
Terra Plana: Bags made out of recycled materials, we have two stores in London, one in NYC and one in Vienna, so we are keen to create an ethical shopping experience that can be experienced by everyone.
8. How would you explain to someone using the ‘usual’ shoe brands why they should be looking at more natural alternatives?
Terra Plana: They just need to need to take notice of the recent media on Live Earth, Carbon Footprints, climate change etc to see what has been happening to the environment, and to see why they should be altering the way they live to take their environmental impact on board.
9. After hitting the markets of China following Portugal, the UK and Africa, which one is next?
Terra Plana: Who knows!!!
10. What are some of the easiest and most difficult things to adjust when making lives more green?
Terra Plana: Flying, we have to fly to trade fairs all over the world. It’s a very difficult situation and we off set our flights through Climate Care.
11. Do you have any future hopes or plans in expanding the online store and its impact on the green and DIY movements?
Terra Plana: We do, watch this space.
12. Finally, we would like to have your thoughts on the Instablogs News Network and all its related sites. Which one is your favorite?
Terra Plana: I think that all fantastic and are a great way to share knowledge and information across the world.
