“We want our pupils to feel comfortable, and to look smart, but also, hope that every time they look at their feet, they are reminded of our collective, global responsibility to act sustainably, and the power of pursuing your dreams.”

Swiss International School Dubai, the emirate’s first bilingual International Baccalaureate School, has become the first in the world to incorporate vegan shoes as part of its uniform.

The move is part of the visionary school’s commitment to sustainability.

The school based in Al Jadaf, has added Thaely‘s sustainable Y2K Pro trainer – ethically made of recycled materials – to its uniform.

Ruth Burke is the school’s principal and CEO. She said: “It’s fantastic to find a cool, local brand – created by a young student – which is sustainable and which our pupils really like.

“At SISD, we encourage our pupils to think out of the box, and to go the extra mile – Thaely shows what’s possible when you really put your mind to something.

“We want our pupils to feel comfortable, and to look smart, but also, hope that every time they look at their feet, they are reminded of our collective, global responsibility to act sustainably, and the power of pursuing your dreams.”

Thaely

The brand launched in 2021 gets its name from a word used in Hindi for plastic bags.

The ethical vegan shoe brand is  the brainchild of Dubai student and entrepreneur Ashay Bhave.

Bhave  developed the prototype as a design exercise to find a solution to the problem of the 100 billion plastic bags used each year that use 12 million barrels of oil and kill 100,000 marine animals annually.

The design along with its business plan won first place at Amity University Dubai’s 2019 Eureka startup pitch competition.

Bhave used the funding to develop a commercial version of the prototype, which was released last year.

The design is inspired by early 2000s basketball trainers and all components, including the glue are peta- certified vegan.

According to Bhave, “each sneaker uses recycled components made from 10 waste plastic bags, 12 waste plastic bottles and industrial rubber waste.”

Additionally, each pair of shoes is sold in a box made from recycled paper dyed with coffee grounds and embedded with basil seeds for replanting. The shoes are also packed in a shopping tote made from four plastic bottles.

Since its launch, Thaely has saved more than 48,000 bottles and 40,000 plastic bags from being dumped in the landfill.

“The Thaely Y2K Pro is a revolution in the footwear industry,” Bhave said.

Burke added: “We are setting the bar with this exciting sustainable addition to our school uniform. These special sneakers are now available with a special exclusive discount code for pupils and parents, and we look forward to seeing some of our 1800 pupils all looking great in their new Thaelys.”

• Read: Activist Earthling Ed launches vegan clothing line to ‘help end animal suffering’

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Mohsina Dodhiya

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