Giesswein Flats: How plastic bottles become chic ballet flats

We want to join the fight against the growing plastic contamination in our oceans. So, in 2019, we developed our Giesswein Flats: made of recycled PET plastic. You’re probably wondering: how exactly does this work? We’ll show you how plastic waste is turned into chic, vegan ballet flats.

Step 1: Collecting

The very first step is, of course, to collect the PET plastic bottles. These bottles are fished out of the South China Sea, which surrounds Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and China. The dirty bottles are then washed and sterilized. Even just in our first year of production, we were able to take out and recycle over 100,000 bottles from the ocean.

Want to know what PET means, and how it’s produced? Find out in our short blog post: What is PET plastic?

Step 2: Reshaping

The clean bottles are then shredded and turned into small, plastic flakes. Then, they’re melted down and reshaped into pellets.

Step 3: Spinning

In the next step, we create the fine yarn that’s used in our comfortable flats. To make the material, the pellets are spun into a very fine yarn.

Step 4: Knitting

The upper material of our ballerina flats is then knitted out of this finely spun yarn. The most special part of this step is our “Knit-to-Wear” technique: the shoe’s upper is knitted all in one piece - completely without waste and unsightly seams.

Step 5: Adding the final touches

At the very end, the shoes’ flexible sole and upper material are sewn together. The sole is made of a combination of synthetic rubber and vegetable oil, which makes it biodegradable. For even more comfort, we add an insole - which is also made of recycled PET plastic.

And voilà - our sustainable, stylish Giesswein Flats are complete.

sustainable flats made out of recycled plastic

Giesswein Flats

Environmental protection doesn’t have to be dull - the proof is in our recycled PET plastic Flats. Thanks to our unique 3D-Knit Technique, our flats are designed in such a way that they mold to each unique foot. The two different styles, pointy and round, go perfectly with casual and delicate outfits. Our flats are water-repellent, washable and look simply fantastic.

Style: Round Style: Pointy

Looking for comfortable, elegant shoes for the office? We’ll show you how to pair our Flats with your business outfits.