our story:
HELEN KIRKUM STUDIO started in 2019 with a clear mission: to rescue odd sneakers from landfills and transform them into new creations that highlight and address the problem of post-consumer sneaker waste from linear production processes. We aim to reconnect people with the craftsmanship and tactility of products that have been lost through mass production. By celebrating the journey of wearing and creating, we use upcycled and dead stock materials to craft artisanal and authentic pieces.
Our process:
We developed a unique technique to create our Collaged Sneaker Leather. Each sneaker we collect is meticulously cleaned, deconstructed, and transformed into a distinctive, one-of-a-kind raw material, which we call our ‘Collaged Sneaker Leather’.
Our material development demonstrates an innovative way to help divert sneakers out of landfills and give them a new life. By converting discarded sneakers into sheets of material that we use to create our core product range.
Our raw materials:
We source our raw materials from single shoe bundles at Traid’s warehouse. Traid is a charity retailer committed to making fashion more sustainable. We also partner with fashion and sportswear businesses to repurpose single shoe samples, faulty returns, and other unusable sneakers, helping them find new life instead of ending up as waste. We deconstruct these sneakers in-house to create our raw materials.
our point of view:
We are dedicated to doing our best and recognise that while our work sparks
eco-conscious conversation and action, it is not a complete solution. Real change requires collective effort. By working together, we can drive a global shift towards more sustainable practices and a healthier planet for future generations.
