What’s in a shoe box?
When we launched Trace, we looked at every aspect of the process, figuring out what was necessary and what wasn’t. And we didn’t stop at the shoes themselves.
It almost goes without saying that if you’ve bought a pair of sneakers, you’ll have likely received a shoebox. But have you ever questioned if shoeboxes were ever actually the most efficient way of transporting and storing footwear? It’s understandable if you haven’t, as the shoebox has been around since 1817. Why would you question what’s always been there? It’d be like wondering just who invented the sunday roast.
But if you’re an organised person, you’ll probably have your shoes on a shoe rack and shoeboxes stowed somewhere else, serving as a memento of your purchase. It’s a system we’re used to but what if your shoe boxes could be more? What if you could use your shoeboxes for grocery shopping, as a laptop case or even a plant pot?
When we researched environmentally friendly options for shoeboxes, we found an underused product that’s far better for the environment in kraft paper. We know what you’re thinking, it’s not some new-fangled shoebox version of a superfood, the goji berries of boxes, if you will. It was actually invented in 1890. Its use simply hadn’t expanded to shoe storage due to the shoebox having a mafia-like grip on the storage industry.
Our kraft paper is two-ply, non-toxic (for those aforementioned groceries), naturally biodegradable, resistant to tears and, most importantly for those of us living through the UK’s hot wet summer, durable even when wet. Sound too good to be true? We know, which is why we had to choose it as our shoebag of choice.
The multi-purpose function of the bag means that they won’t just lay dormant in a cupboard. Instead these become part of your everyday life if you want it to, or will be easily recyclable if you don’t.
Another aspect of these bags is the knock-on effect they have on shipping. Shoeboxes are typically shipped via the industry-standard BCM-1 box, fitting 6 boxes per shipment. The smaller size of our shoebags means that we’ll be able to carry 33% more per shipment, reducing our carbon footprint. So you can know that you’re doing your bit for the environment even when you’re not trying.
And, as a treat, we’ve added some hand finished touches to the bags so you can see which pair you’ve bought from the outside. As they’ll be hand finished by the Trace team, each bag will be unique. For us, ‘think outside the shoe box’ is more than a slogan, it’s a train of thought that’ll allow you to live life a little more mindfully, even when you’re just buying a pair of delectable new trainers.