Fashion footwear destination Schuh is upping its sustainability stance by partnering with conscious creative agency and waste design studio Are You Mad to transform its post-consumer waste materials. 

Donated footwear, returns bags and pallet wrap are being transformed  “into usable and creative objects for Schuh’s retail spaces”. These include creating unique donation bins for the retailers’ Sell Your Soles footwear takeback initiative, and one-of-a-kind shoe risers for product displays.

At the heart of the project “is a collective of makers, creatives and designers” curated by Schuh and Are You Mad, “each bringing a unique approach to transforming Schuh’s waste into functional and beautiful objects, each of which showcasing ingenuity, skill and passion”. Included are some of the UK’s “most exciting names” in sustainable design, Helen Kirkum, Charlie Boyden and Weez & Merl, who have repurposed over 600 pre-loved shoes, pallet wrap and returns bags “into beautiful, functional pieces” for selected stores.

Greg Traill, head of Brand Partnerships at Schuh, added: “The footwear industry faces significant challenges when it comes to waste, but we’re committed to being transparent and proactive on our journey to becoming a more conscious retailer.

“We’re on a mission to inspire our customers to make more responsible choices, and this partnership with Are You Mad is a valuable opportunity for us to raise awareness of the importance of re-using. Our goal is to give as much footwear as possible a second life.”

James Suckling, co-founder of Are You Mad, added: “When Schuh approached us to help bring their Sell Your Soles initiative to life, what stood out was their honesty about the challenges of footwear recycling. It’s a complex process, but together, we’re creating a solution that gets people excited about recycling their old shoes, and rethinking the journey of their clothing, footwear, and waste. This is just the beginning of our partnership, and we’re excited to continue working with Schuh in 2025 and beyond.”

The Schuh x Are You Mad donations bins and risers have been introduced to stores in the UK and Ireland including London, Bristol, Manchester, Metro, Belfast, Newcastle, Liverpool, and Glasgow.