HyderabadAware of the large-scale environmental damage that planet Earth is rapidly causing, the man-woman duo of Shashank Pawar and Lizy have decided to eliminate a commodity T-shirt business and shift their focus to sustainable shoes that told a story and did not affect nature.
They started Murtle, which was about modular shoes, where one can change the straps of the sandals and slippers whenever and however they like.
‘How many times do we buy shoes or sandals at random just because they fit an outfit? Everyone has done it countless times. But after wearing one or two, we forget about it and then the shoes end up in a landfill. We did not want it. Instead, we have chosen to use materials with bicycles and encourage artisans by using environmentally conscious methods to create shoes that last a long time, ”says Shashank Pawar, owner of Murtle.in
They work on a range of materials such as hand fabrics, leather, synthetic leather or upholstery, cloth, jute, and their artisans create pairs that come with three soles and variable straps with different designs or embroidery. So what you can choose are birkenstockish like shoes, padukoids and mojris for both men and women.
The duo work with artisans across the country and abroad to create unique bands. Every element is handmade, from paint to finish. For their first capsule collection with ikkat, they worked with Pochampally weavers. When their notices spread, their patrons would propose other artists with a similarly sustainable purpose. “The word-of-mouth popularity was so strong that we didn’t have to spend anything on marketing,” Shashank adds.
Later they came out with collections of Pattachitra, Ettikopaka, Kutch artists, etc. The duo is now coming out with a new capsule collection featuring a Chennai-based artist named Madraskarri. ‘This artist works with custom waste and creates running material from it. We used this material to make straps for shoes and slides for all sites. We do not believe that large stocks will be retained because more than what is needed will destroy the purpose of our core value of not adding to the landfills, ”Shashank said.
The brand also has an upcycling option where customers can send old shoes, sandals, slippers to them with a material of their choice to change into a brand new style and thus increase its shelf life. They are also working on an art project in a team with an American artist who plans to use their shoes as a medium to learn art.
Source: Telangana Today