You can start saving the world now by wearing this white sneaker. But how?
Our planet is littered with trash, and not in a metaphorical sense. We know, everybody knows, but yet… not so many people do anything about it. Sure, there are biodegradable straw, reusable cup, and many items that has been invented to battle the seem-to-be inescapable global warming here and there, and it sure makes us consume a little less plastic, but nontheless, having such product still means we’re still piling it up.
This is not the case for Charn Sitthiyavanich and Parkin “Pop” Rojanawekin, two of the co-founders of “Maddy Hopper” who gave us an honor to share their passion with us.
But first, let’s get to know Maddy Hopper a little bit more.
“Maddy Hopper” is a newly established Thai sneaker brand that promises an alternative way of saving the world, or at least trying to, by turning a used plastic bottle into sneakers. It all begins after Pop realized that every time he travels somewhere, ‘things’ always change, and not in a good way. The climate gets less predictable, the city gets hotter, the annual flooding that gets more sequent, and the beach has more litter than ever, not to mention Thailand’s waste management problems. This to him, is a sign of change, and someone has to do something about it.
And to us, and everyone else, we don’t even need to travel anywhere to notice the changes.
Once the idea brewed in his mind, he and his like-minded friends finally decided that it’s time to start doing something about it.
“Recycle or upcycle. To us all, isn’t a new idea that just came yesterday, and Maddy Hopper isn’t really the first sneaker brand on the planet that does it. But in Thailand, no one take this matter seriously. So, we are going to be the first to start, and we’re hoping to inspire others as well.” Pop shared his thought.
Charn added: “There are plenty of resources available in Thailand, but I have to be honest, people here are not very good at managing it.” and this statement isn’t far from the truth.
Most entrepreneur starts their business by their specialty or their passion. Maddy Hopper on the other hand starts their business by their sheer interest to minimize plastic waste as much as possible. Evidently, none of the shareowners/founders are sneakerhead, and what’s even more surprising is that they don’t even care about the world of sneakers. Their only goal is to provide a minimalist made from recycled plastic bottle, comfortable, and stylish white sneakers made from recycled plastic bottle.
Make no mistake: “Maddy Hopper” isn’t a shoe brand that will change the world in a large scale. However, we’re sure that it is a brand that will inspire many other to follow their footsteps. “Actually, we’re not trying to save the world,” Pop concluded. “The world will continue to be what it has always been in another billion years. We, on the other hand, will have to face the consequences if we continue to ignore our own responsibility. So this is what I do to demonstrate my individual responsibility.”
To wrap this up, the next time you’re looking for a comfortable sneaker that is of good quality AND responsible, and you’re deciding which brands serves the best purpose, well… we hope you have at least one in mind.
