Giving New Life To Old Treads: Embellished Flip Flops

By Author: Kacy Suther
Total Articles: 223
Comment this article

Even though you're sick of those tired, old, designer flip flops, you don't necessarily have to condemn them to the bottom of your trash bin. After all, one man's junk is another man's treasure, and unbeknownst to you, there may still be years of life and use in those old treads. Used odds and ends are constantly finding new life, and can experience a total rebirth in the hands of the right person. Not only is it inspiring to see something creatively and artistically transformed, its environmentally savvy, too. Tires become adobe houses, coffee tins become flower pots, egg cartons become seed trays, and designer flip flops become toys. So before you throw those formerly sexy flip flops in the trash, think about this.

In Kenya, where resources are scarce, and poverty runs rampant, children are known for turning trash into toys. In addition to other little ingenious inventions, the children will often take the sole of a flip flop, and with a few altercations, turn it into a sailboat. By simply adding a twig for the mast, a plastic trash bag for the sail, and unraveled seed bags for the lines, these children ...
... have created a boat they can actually sail with their friends. If these items had met their demise in a more affluent country, they would probably be rotting in the bottom of a landfill right now, and needlessly so.

Abundance rarely necessitates the ingenuity exhibited by these kids, and most of us would be hard pressed to turn refuse into a diversion, a tool, or outerwear. That doesn't mean we can't find other ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle. If you have a pair of flip flops that are looking a little scary, consider finding a shoe designer who reuses the rubber in old treads. Much like with cans and bottles, recycling plants will pay for old rubber, which can be used for new shoes, and myriad of other products. Some more philanthropic designers will donate the money they receive to a charity, such as a homeless shelter. Therefore, you can feel doubly as good about sparing those tired treads from the trash heap. While you're busy dropping off your formerly glorious footwear, consider taking the opportunity to replace those old kicks with new designer flip flops.


So don't worry if you haven't a modicum of creativity, and no use for a sailboat. You can still find ways to get fashionable, custom made, embellished flip flops, and be kind to the environment too. After all, few of us have the time or resources to be an entrepreneur of footwear. And that's no matter, because whether you want cute and whimsical, or glamorous, sexy flip flops, a custom designer can help you get there. You too can turn your trash into treasure.