Posted by
Frederic
30 April 2024
Seaside Bamboo: Where sustainability meets barefoot functionality and timeless design
30 April 2024
Many of you have been asking for a Seaside model with a cream-colored upper, as well as more shoe models made from Banbū Leather™, which was also used in the popular Original Bamboo Limited Edition. So, we've combined these requests and developed the Seaside Bamboo in the color Oat.
Seaside Bamboo features the highest proportion of biodegradable materials we've ever offered. Both the vegan leather for the straps and the sole material are 100% biodegradable. The cream-colored upper is made from Banbū Leather™ - a new generation of vegan leather made from bamboo fibers. The outsole is made from Pilant™, an innovative 100% plastic-free material made from natural rubber, plant, and mineral pigments. Seaside Bamboo retains the popular cork insole that we already use for most color variants of our existing Seaside models.
What is Banbū Leather™?
Banbū Leather™ was developed by the company von Holzhausen to create a vegan leather that can compete in quality with animal leather. The criteria by which von Holzhausen develops its materials are: 100% vegan and cruelty-free, non-toxic, ethically produced, low carbon emissions, and minimal waste production.
The Banbū Leather™ used for our limited editions is characterized by its high plant content of 83%. Compared to conventional leather, the production of Banbū Leather™ emits five times less carbon emissions. This vegan leather is not only environmentally friendly but also highly functional: it is stain-resistant, water-repellent, and scratch-resistant. Moreover, it weighs only one-third of the weight of real leather, making it the perfect choice for our barefoot shoes designed for lightness and comfort.
For more information about the material and the bamboo raw material, you can find our blog article about our first model made with Banbū Leather™, the Original Bamboo.
What is Pilant™?
Pilant™ was developed by the company NFW to produce an outsole material without any plastics, which is also naturally circular to protect the planet. Pilant™ is USDA-certified 100% bio-based. As the main component of this sole material, NFW uses the juice from rubber trees from FSC-certified, responsibly managed forests. This is then processed into outsoles using additional natural substances and a patented curing process.
Seaside Bamboo vs. Seaside Luxe: What's the difference?
Visually, our Seaside Bamboo Limited Edition closely resembles our Seaside Luxe model. However, due to the use of the particularly sustainable materials for the sole and straps, there are some differences. The Banbū Leather™ of the straps offers an exceptionally pleasant and high-quality feel and is truly buttery soft and super flexible. The color "Oat" is exclusively available for Seaside Bamboo and not available as a Seaside Luxe variant. Additionally, the Pilant™ sole stands out not only for its particularly sustainable properties but also differs from Seaside Luxe in its gum color, different profile pattern, and above all, in its thickness. Seaside Bamboo remains super flexible, but with a stack height of 8.5 mm, it’s slightly thicker than our 7 mm thin other Seaside models’ sole. Seaside Bamboo is therefore ideal for those who want a little more cushioning than our existing Seaside sandals provide.
Finding the right size made easy
Seaside Bamboo fits true to size. If you already own a pair of Seaside Twill or Luxe, we recommend choosing the same size for Seaside Bamboo, as the sole has identical proportions.
For sandals, it's important not to have too much space in front of the toes to avoid frequent tripping. Therefore, we have designed the soles of our Seaside models slightly shorter than the soles of our closed shoe models. For this reason, we recommend choosing the same size for Seaside that you normally wear for other Feelgrounds. You can find the exact measurements for the sole length and width of the Seaside models on the product pages or on our special size-finding page, including our size guide PDF for printing.
However, finding the right size for your Seaside sandals depends not only on the length and width of your foot but also on its volume. Seaside Bamboo offers a similar fit to Seaside Luxe and sits slightly looser compared to Seaside Twill. Therefore, Seaside Bamboo is particularly suitable for medium foot volumes. The straps of all Seaside models are provided with an elastic band on the inside of the arch to ensure a good fit for a variety of foot shapes. However, for low-volume feet, we would rather recommend Seaside Twill.
For customers between two sizes, we recommend choosing the size based on their foot volume. For larger foot volumes, the larger size should be chosen, while for smaller volumes, the smaller size is the better choice.
For sandals, it's important not to have too much space in front of the toes to avoid frequent tripping. Therefore, we have designed the soles of our Seaside models slightly shorter than the soles of our closed shoe models. For this reason, we recommend choosing the same size for Seaside that you normally wear for other Feelgrounds. You can find the exact measurements for the sole length and width of the Seaside models on the product pages or on our special size-finding page, including our size guide PDF for printing.
However, finding the right size for your Seaside sandals depends not only on the length and width of your foot but also on its volume. Seaside Bamboo offers a similar fit to Seaside Luxe and sits slightly looser compared to Seaside Twill. Therefore, Seaside Bamboo is particularly suitable for medium foot volumes. The straps of all Seaside models are provided with an elastic band on the inside of the arch to ensure a good fit for a variety of foot shapes. However, for low-volume feet, we would rather recommend Seaside Twill.
For customers between two sizes, we recommend choosing the size based on their foot volume. For larger foot volumes, the larger size should be chosen, while for smaller volumes, the smaller size is the better choice.
Get your pair of Seaside Bamboo now
If you have any questions or need personal assistance with size or fit, our support team is happy to help. Just contact us via our contact form.
Your Feelgrounds Team