nat-2™ x Daniel Elkayam

Algae Sneaker Line

German high end sneaker brand nat-2™ and designer Daniel Elkayam launch sustainable luxury vegan sneakers made from a leather-like semi-transparent algae biomaterial.

The aesthetic of the shoe was inspired by vintage tennis shoes gone over board of a boat and floated across the oceans. Found and loved again.

A product of true international and intercultural collaboration. The algae material was developed by Daniel Elkayam in Israel, while the sneakers were designed by Sebastian Thies in Germany and produced by hand in the nat-2™ workshop in Italy. The algae upper which makes up to 50 % of the surface is accompanied by reflective glass and recycled pre-consumer PET bottles. The signature nat-2™ bioceramic lining is German made and features real silver threads and ceramic fibres which are antibiotic, antistatic and work like an air condition. The insoles are made from real recycled cork and the outsoles are handmade in France by 99,9 % natural milk rubber.

As a continuation of the SEAmpathy Project, the collaboration with nat-2™ is a way of expression of biophilic values, that seeks to create deeper connections and relations between man and nature. By these values a sneaker line of unisex 100% vegan and eco-friendly shoes with algae pattern.

SEAmpathy as a project, and as an approach, believes that we can harness nature in our favour without harming it. The project uses this vision of a better world, that man works together with nature, and by creating algae-based biomaterials, propose a whole new world of opportunities that are sustainable, ecological and innovative.

The curiosity of how far this material can go, and the desire to examine the wide variety of implementations it could fit, have led the material designer Elkayam to create a collaboration with Sebastian Thies (Munich born, *1981), 6th generation footwear designer since 1856 that has launched the sustainable luxury brand nat-2™ in 2007. Ever since award-winning nat-2™ is all about innovation, design, and sustainability paving the way for the future fashion footwear by using unique, uncommon materials such as milk, fish leather, natural felt, recycled leather and many vegan luxury alternative materials such as stone, wood, corn, cork, glass, fungus, coffee, grass, flowers, natural rubber

The Algae sneakers attempt to generate a perceptual change in the way that we act with our nature, by using bio sheets that made of dead algae picked from nature, and give them a new life cycle as a daily fashion item.

The sheets use different algae types that collected from nature, and algae powders that cooked together and poured into moulds to dry up. The sheets are hand made and consist a variety of algae textures and colours that stimulate our senses.
The sheets can be reused by repeating of the cooking process and recasting it or to return it back to nature for biodegradation.
The shoes are fully hand made in Italy, using regional and local vegan materials such as real cork insole, real rubber outsoles, vegan leather, glass, and cruelty-free glue.

This first step of industrialization of the bio sheets together with using 100% vegan materials stands for a potential change in our consuming habits and a reduction of our footprint in this world in our time.

Daniel Elkayam X nat-2™ 

Algae line

As a continuation of SEAmpathy Project, nat-2™ X Daniel Elkayam collaboration is a way of expression of biophilic values, that seeks to create deeper connections and relations between man and nature. By these values we have created a sneaker line of 100% vegan and eco-friendly shoes with algae pattern.

SEAmpathy as a project, and as an approach, believes that we can harness nature in our favor without harming it. The project uses this vision of a better world, that man works together with nature, and by creating algae-based biomaterials, propose a whole new world of opportunities that are sustainable, ecological and innovative.

The curiosity of how far this material can go, and the desire to examine the wide variety of implementations it could fit, have led me to create a collaboration with Sebastian Thies (Munich born, *1981), 6th generation footwear designer since 1856 that has launched the sustainable luxury brand nat-2™ in 2007. Ever since award-winning nat-2™ is all about innovation, design, and sustainability paving the way for the future fashion footwear by using unique, uncommon materials such as fungus, coffee, fish leather, moss, flowers natural felt, recycled leather and other vegan alternative materials.

The Algae sneakers attempt to generate a perceptual change in the way that we act with our nature, by using bio sheets that made of dead algae picked from nature, and give them a new life cycle as a daily fashion item.

The sheets uses different algae types that collected from nature, and algae powders that cooked together and poured into molds to dry up. The sheets are hand made and consist a variety of algae textures and colors that stimulate our senses​​​​​​​.
The sheets can be reused by repeating of the cooking process and recasting it or to return it back to nature for biodegradation.

The sneakers are 100% vegan and fully handmade in Italy, using regional and local materials such as recycled pre-consumer PET bottles, reflective glass, real cork insoles, nat-2™ signature bioceramic lining ­and real 100% natural Lactae Hevea ® rubber outsoles. 

This first step of industrialization of the bio sheets together with using 100% vegan materials stands for a potential change in our consuming habits and a reduction of our footprint in this world in our time.

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