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Unfortunately this event has been cancelled

Ed Temperley and Damian Quinn, co-founders of WAES, will be presenting the art of plastic-free footwear production. Learn about the manufacturing process of natural materials, and create a shoe with them in the store. 

Starting with the sole, Ed and Damian will demonstrate the first stage by pouring natural rubber into the mould, which is 40% larger than the final shoe sole. After this the soles are gently cooked for a week to remove the moisture. They then combine the end product with a shoe upper which is stitched together. 

During the demonstration Ed and Damian will present the challenges they have faced in creating a plastic-free product in a manufacturing world designed around plastic-based materials.

For example, it’s not enough to simply create a plastic-free thread capable of withstanding the rigours of shoe longevity. The natural thread also has to pass through machines designed for a slick PU thread, standard to shoe manufacturing, without overheating and breaking.

From the labelling to the box, to the shoes themselves, they will provide insights into the ways they have managed to make zero plastic footwear a commercial reality.