Co-founded by Natalie Chow in 2019, Kibo uses upcycled apple waste, leather and plastic to make shoes for adults and kids
Natalie Chow spent months experimenting with vegan materials, like pineapple and cactus leather, for her latest line of sustainable white sneakers. After rounds of research, design and sampling, she created a collection named Apple Kicks. Each pair is crafted with apple leather—a US government-certified material produced by recycling apple waste from the juicing industry.
It wasn’t the entrepreneur’s first time experimenting with such materials. The Apple Kicks collection is part of the sustainable shoe brand Kibo, which Chow co-founded in 2019 with the goal of normalising sustainable fashion. “I don’t want sustainable fashion only to serve the privileged; it shouldn’t. But unfortunately, materials are expensive. If more brands [are in this field], we can drive the cost down, meaning people can then afford the products,” she says.
Sneakers from the Kibo’s Apple Kicks collection (Photo: Natalie Chow)
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Initially, Chow’s label offered only sneakers made with recycled leather, but as demand for vegan options grew, it expanded to include apple leather. Other components of the shoes, such as the shoelaces, lining and outsoles, are made using recycled plastic or rubber compounds.
Skilled workers in the southern Chinese provinces of Fujian and Guangdong assemble the shoes by hand. Chow says she ensures their safety and pays them above the minimum wage.
