Sustainable sneaker start-up Kibo sees increased appetite in Hong Kong for shoes made from apple waste, eyes overseas growth
- Want to combine ‘comfort, sustainability and functional aspects’ in Kibo shoes, CEO says
- Brand launched vegan Apple Kicks, shoes made using discarded apple pomace, last year
Hong Kong sustainable sneaker start-up Kibo, which makes shoes from apple waste and other recycled materials such as plastic bottles sourced from mainland China, almost doubled its sales in the financial year ending March, as demand for environmentally-friendly footwear grows.
“There are so many expensive trainers out there that really hurt your feet,” Natalie Chow, co-founder and CEO of Kibo, said in an interview. “And that just doesn’t make sense to me. We want to combine comfort, sustainability and functional aspects to craft our shoes.”
“Demand for environmentally-friendly footwear is growing as green consumption takes off,” Nicholas Fu, an economist with the global research team at HKTDC Research, said in the report. “Shoes made of recycled, upcycled and natural materials, along with animal‑free substances, are becoming increasingly popular.”