O.T.A On The Asphalt is a French brand of ethical, recycled footwear, whose ambition is to transform waste into desirable products. Why produce new materials for our eco-friendly sneakers, when we have tons of waste at our disposal that can be handcrafted in Europe?

TIRES: AN INNOVATIVE RECYCLED MATERIAL 

O.T.A was born of a simple observation. Every year, over 1.3 billion tires are produced worldwide. In Europe alone, 6 tires reach the end of their life cycle every second. Since you started reading this article, 100 new tires have already been recycled...

The idea behind O.T.A. grew out of a desire to take action, on our own scale, to reduce our environmental impact. We wanted to create a sneaker with a minimalist, timeless design that is both beautiful eco-responsible and sustainable.

6 TIRES REACH END-OF-LIFE EVERY SECOND 

We chose this material for 2 main reasons. The first is the massive and still little-known pollution caused by tires in our oceans and on our land. In addition to the worrying piling up of tires in garages, more and more of this waste is found illegally in nature, and recycling it is still a problem today. 

 A PUNCTURE-PROOF SOLE 

The second reason lies in the characteristics of the tire, its hardness and longevity over time. Tires are a material with an almost unlimited lifespan, and we felt it was vital to breathe new life into this material in order to offer shoes that would last over time. We carried out abrasion tests to compare our recycled tire sole with other soles on the market, and to see whether tire material is more resistant than others. In the end, our sole is between 20% and 55% less abrasive than other soles on the market. 

Here are the results of tests carried out by the Centre Technique de la Chaussure in San Juan de Madeira, Portugal; this abrasion test consists of measuring the volume of sole lost after passing over an abrasive roller. Of course, we've chosen not to list the names of the brands we tested.

 

A SOLE THAT WEARS LESS THAN OTHERS

FROM TIRE TO SOLE 

Each sole comes from a strip of tire from which the shape of the sole is cut out, then incorporated into the shoe. This enables O.T.A to recycle the equivalent of 1 tire for every 3 pairs produced.

IT TOOK 2 YEARS OF RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING TO PERFECT OUR RECYCLED TIRE SOLE.

Many prototypes were created before arriving at the model you know today. Above all, we were demanding. Demanding of a shoe that was as puncture-proof as the tires with which it was designed. Demanding a European production, ethicalusing local know-how. Demanding a low carbon footprint. It's this demand that lies at the heart of our project, and that drives us to do more and more, so that in the long term we can have sneakers made exclusively from recycled materials.

 

RECYCLED LEATHER 

 

We want to take our desire to transform waste into ethical footwear a step further. That's why we've been working for almost a year on prototypes of sneakers made from recycled leather. The O.T.A x FRBG collaboration was born out of a shared ambition with FRBG to change the face of today's textile industry by offering eco-responsible, transparent and socially ethical consumer alternatives. 

  

At the heart of this project is a revolution in the sneaker marketmarket, with the first model to be made from 100% recycled recycled materialsproving that it's possible to produce better and consume better. 

This collaboration is the result of a skilful marriage between FRBGa brand offering recycled leather materials, and O.T.A., the first sneaker brand with a sole made from recycled tires. The sneaker's leather is made from sustainable materials, thanks to an intelligent recycling process of natural leather fibers. This involves recovering leather scraps from a garden glove factory, adding natural latex, and water-pigmented synthetic material. The result is a leather that is as light as it is strong, with an appearance identical to that of traditional leather, and without the use of toxic products such as chromium.

O.T.A and FRBG rely on Recyc'Leather' s know-how to offer this recycled leather version.

10 MANUFACTURED GARDEN GLOVES = 1 PAIR OF OTA SNEAKERS x FRBG 

Following the success of this ephemeral collection in 2020, this recycled leather version has become permanent in 2021. This success is a perfect illustration of the change in mentality and consumption; things are changing little by little, and it's mainly thanks to you.

These new pairs of sneakers mark a turning point in O.T.A's eco-responsibility approach, with products increasingly made from waste. 

  

RECYCLED RUBBER   

 With the aim of going even further in the transformation of waste into fashion products, we naturally turned to recycled rubber for the rest of the sole (around the tire). This material is composed of 70% recycled rubber and 30% synthetic rubber, and is used to manufacture the soles of our sneakers and the upper of our Vegan model.

A VEGAN MODEL MADE FROM RECYCLED MATERIALS

We relied on our certified 0-waste insole factory, which has its own recycling plant and waste reclamation chain. All the factory's production offcuts are transformed into new materials, enabling us to reduce our waste production as much as possible, however small. 

 

And why not natural rubber soles natural ?

In addition to transforming waste into fashionable products, we have also chosen to use recycled rubber to limit the consumption of exhaustible natural resources and the production of harmful synthetic products.  

DEFORESTATION TO INCREASE HEVEA PRODUCTION

  

O.T.A shoes are based on the logic of the circular and responsible economy. Our shoes, made from recycled tires and rubber, are not only ethical, but also timeless and stylish..

 

RECYCLED PLASTIC 

PLASTIC POLLUTION, UNCONTROLLED POLLUTION 

We have also chosen to use recycled ocean plastic as a secondary material for certain shoe interiors and model yokes. A polluting material that is ravaging our oceans and continents to such an extent that it is at the origin of the creation of the "7th continent", also known as the "Plastic Continent". Located in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, 3.45 million km2 of plastic waste float there.

THE PLASTIC CONTINENT, THE 7TH CONTINENT 

In France, almost 900,000 tonnes of plastics are landfilled every year. In 2018, 359 million tonnes of plastic were produced worldwide, a figure that rises to 438 million when plastics in textiles and synthetic rubbers are taken into account, while only 11% of plastic is recycled. It seemed natural to us to find solutions for recycling this plastic into new footwear. 

 

A 100% RECYCLED MATERIAL SNEAKER

 

Our aim was to offer versions of shoes made from 100% recycled materials, and thus enable people to wear waste on their feet. This is what O.T.A has achieved with 2 different models: a Vegan model in recycled rubber, and a model in recycled leather.

ETHICAL AND RECYCLED FOOTWEAR

Thanks to recycled rubber and recycled ocean plastic, O.T.A is able to offer a Vegan and eco-responsible sneaker. The main material is 70% recycled rubber and 30% conventional rubber, and the inserts are made from 100% recycled ocean plastic. The inside of the sneaker is made entirely from recycled plastic, as are the laces. The ultimate aim is to offer a model made 100% from recycled materials, and to propose a version made entirely from waste. What's more, the use of recycled rubber enables us to offer a 100% waterproof, moisture-wicking design - a nice little extra to know. 

The recycled leather version is also made entirely from recycled materials. The leather comes from the offcuts of a garden glove factory, the interior and laces are made from recycled ocean plastic, and even the stitching thread is recycled nylon.

 

COMING SOON SHOES MADE FROM RECYCLED NATURAL FIBERS ?

Looking for a sneaker ever more eco-responsibleO.T.A's ambition is to offer vegan shoes in recycled natural plant fibers while excluding polyurethane.

ORGANIC COTTON OR RECYCLED COTTON? 

Cotton is a plant fiber 70% of whose production is destined for the textile industry. However, despite being a natural fiber, it is the most polluting fiber in the world. Firstly, because it consumes a lot of water, and secondly, because it requires the use of pesticides and chemicals that pollute rivers and water resources. 

ORGANIC COTTON, A MORE ETHICAL COTTON 

So as not to play a part in this abusive cotton race and the chemical pollution it induces, we plan to use organic cotton. Organic cotton is grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and its production process requires 50% to 91% less water.

  

So, just like rubber, tires and plastics, it makes sense to recycle this natural fiber and bring it back to life. Cotton recycling involves returning cotton fabric to its original state: the fiber. What's more, recycled cotton requires no chemicals, just like organic cotton.

A SHOE MADE FROM NATURAL MATERIALS?

 

BANANA FIBER 

How about a banana sneaker? How do we do it? By using an innovative textile called BANANATEX®. Made from the fibers of the Abacá banana tree from the Philippines, this super-strong fabric took over 2 years to develop in order to achieve optimum results. This high-quality textile is 100% biodegradable, since it is made entirely from natural fibers, and is also waterproof.