SME Footwear Brand Launches Range of Vegan Plant-powered Trainers With Purpose

-       Cocorose London brings second game-changing fashion innovation to the UK footwear sector

Independent and family-run fashion footwear business, Cocorose London, is making a groundbreaking difference this Christmas, having pioneered and now launched a brand-new range of plant-powered cactus leather trainers that ticks all sustainable, vegan and recyclability boxes. 

The Kew range comes in five different colour options, with all of the low-top trainers handmade in Portugal, with exquisite attention to detail, from organic cactus leather.  Each sports a durable sole with a composition that is 30% recycled cork material, utilising discarded Portuguese wine corks.

Despite working with this brand-new material – a very viable alternative to animal and synthetic leather -  the trainers do not compromise on Cocorose London’s devotion to comfort.  Each still comes with an indulgent level of support and cossetting for the feet and a contoured footbed, offering all the protection Cocorose London customers expect.

With the added benefit of purpose and the appeal of being made from a plant which is a great ally for the planet in the fight against climate change, there is every reason to purchase these stylish and sustainable trainers.

“The launch of the range marks a watershed for Cocorose London but also for the wider fashion and footwear industry”, says Cocorose London’s founder, Janan Leo. 

“We are offering women a truly sustainable choice that can align with their 21st century lifestyle and principles.  It is plant-powered footwear with purpose and created with a timeless aesthetic, so as to appeal to as many environmentally concerned  - and other women who are not necessarily vegan  – as possible.”

Four of the five choices available are off-white cactus leather trainers with a coloured heel tab bearing the Cocorose London designer logo.  These are: White and Bordeaux; White and Marine Blue; White and Beige and White and Mostaza.  The fifth Kew trainer is a sleek all-black shoe.  The colourways can be embraced and incorporated into almost any wardrobe, thanks to their versatility and subtle use of colour.

All Kew trainers come with recycled polyester, effortless beige laces and bear a slightly speckled and highly attractive sole, thanks to the recycled cork element. All are priced at £145 and come beautifully packaged in a Cocorose London recyclable Plant-Powered cardboard box.

Named Kew, in honour of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and the work it does to support plants as the crucial cornerstones of global bio-diversity, this range has been brought to fruition with the support of Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency.  

Cactus leather was a natural choice for this sustainability-focused project, with cacti plants being natural carbon sinks. A plantation of 14 acres can absorb around 8000 tons of carbon but is also very considerate when it comes to not requiring vital water resources.  Cacti are able to survive even in drought conditions and are always generous to the surrounding soil, which they notably rejuvenate.  By supporting cacti production and giving these plants a financial value, the future of such plantations can be secured, along with local community job opportunities.

The launch of the range was the next step in the sustainability journey of a brand that already has shoe recycle and plant-a-tree schemes and which is a firm advocate of slow fashion and small-batch production. 

The innovation brought to the marketplace in time for Christmas 2023 and the 2024 season is also in keeping with the spirit of the Cocorose London brand and its founder, Janan Leo, who was the inventor of the foldable shoe back in the mid-Noughties.

“We are proud to again be leading the way, this time in shoe sustainability, especially as we are just a small SME with very limited resources,” says Janan Leo. “It demonstrates that what is truly important, as a driver of change in the fashion industry, is passion and commitment, along with a clear vision and goal.”

The new Kew trainers are on sale at www.cocoroselondon.com and orders for boutiques and other outlets can be taken on 020 3146 8806.

A podcast about the new range and the story behind it can be found at https://bit.ly/3Nsyytp

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Editors notes

Cocorose London is a brand making exquisite flat ballet pumps, sandals, boots, loafers and trainers, all coming with exceptional levels of comfort due to the features built in to them, the leathers and textiles used and handcrafting at every stage. Some are also hybrid shoes, which fold, if required, so they can be carried in a zipped purse and worn when the foot need a little luxury.