advertisement
livinggreensa.com
PreviousPausePlayNext
  • 20091121papershoes01.jpg
    CHIANG YING-YING/Associated Press
    Confronted with an ever-growing pile of old newspapers, Taiwanese fashion designer Colin Lin came up with the idea of using them to make shoes and tote bags for her environmentally friendly footwear company.
  • 20091121papershoes02.jpg
    CHIANG YING-YING/Associated Press
    Colin Lin says the shoes and tote bags are now hot items in Taiwan as well as markets from the United States to Europe, finding a niche with green-minded customers who have a fondness for novelty.
  • 20091121papershoes03.jpg
    CHIANG YING-YING/Associated Press
    A craftsman at designer Colin Lin's factory measures a piece made of recycled newspapers for insertion into high fashion shoes. A pair of paper shoes takes 3-4 hours to make and sells for $100-150, while a tote bag takes as much as 2-3 days and can go for up to $260.
  • 20091121papershoes04.jpg
    CHIANG YING-YING/Associated Press
    A worker assembles shoes using recycled newspapers. To make the newspaper strips durable and sturdy, a cotton lining is attached to the back, and plastic coating is added to give them a shiny, waterproof finish.
  • 20091121papershoes05.jpg
    CHIANG YING-YING/Associated Press
    A craftsman shows a piece made of recycled newspapers for insertion into high fashion shoes. The woven top will be attached to a plastic cap-toe and glued to a rubber sole.
  • 20091121papershoes06.jpg
    CHIANG YING-YING/Associated Press
    Designer Colin Lin displays shoes made out of recycled newspapers. Since the products were launched late last year, the firm has sold about 4,000 pairs of shoes made of recycled papers.
  • 20091121papershoes07.jpg
    CHIANG YING-YING/Associated Press
    Designer Colin Lin displays shoes made out of recycled newspapers. Both the shoes and tote bags are very much in line with Lin's environmentally friendly approach to business.
  • 20091121papershoes08.jpg
    CHIANG YING-YING/Associated Press
    Designer Colin Lin displays shoes made out of recycled newspapers. "My concern is for comfort, fashion and the environment," she said.
  • 20091121papershoes09.jpg
    CHIANG YING-YING/Associated Press
    A customer looks at recycled newspaper shoes at designer Colin Lin's counter.
  • 20091121papershoes10.jpg
    CHIANG YING-YING/Associated Press
    A customer tries to carry a recycled newspaper bag at designer Colin Lin's counter.