Apple skins are not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about footwear but, as Finbarr Power, founder of Sampla shoes discovered, the waste from apple juice pressings can be turned into a leather alternative and used for making shoe uppers.
“I’ve always had a natural curiosity about product design and an interest in footwear, having worked in a sport shop when I was younger. As far back as 2018, I had started to notice how difficult it was to find footwear that had minimal design and was made from sustainable materials,” says Power, whose background is in design and IT.
“I began researching materials and collaborating with talented craftspeople across Europe (including the Italian inventor of the apple skin leather) to learn everything I could about making a shoe that was ethical, durable and different.
“I wanted to create a shoe that was functional and versatile, yet still elevated in its minimal design. The vision wasn’t just about making a shoe, it was about rethinking how shoes are made and setting a new benchmark for sustainability in footwear,” Power says.
Sampla produces a unisex shoe (different colourways with the same design) for casual wear and all versions cost the same – €125. The shoes are made from a mix of sustainable materials including the water resistant apple-derived leather, natural crepe rubber (for the soles) and recycled polyurethane sourced from the automotive industry.
“We give these components a second lease of life and they provide cushioned support in our shoes as well as helping divert waste from landfills,” Power says. “All the details of our products reflect our commitment to sustainability. For example, our organic cotton laces are grown without harmful chemicals or GMOs and our packaging is 100 per cent recyclable, plastic-free and compact which also reduces the logistics footprint.”
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Power says the brand’s typical customers are environmentally conscious individuals who value sustainability, design and craftsmanship. So far, these customers have come from 19 different countries with Ireland, Britain, France and Germany accounting for the bulk of sales.
Waterford-based Sampla employs four people and is essentially an online business with a handful of retail outlets, including five stores in Japan. The footwear is produced by a family-owned factory in Portugal.
Finding a manufacturer that understood and supported Power’s sustainability vision was key, he says.
“It took months to find a good manufacturing fit and there was a lot of project management to get things up and running as I was juggling so many variables, including sourcing materials, managing suppliers, doing the necessary certification paperwork and working out how I was going to ship to customers in the UK from Portugal in the wake of Brexit,” says Power, whose next step is to bring order fulfilment from Portugal back to Waterford.
Power funded the tooling and early prototypes himself before launching a Kickstarter campaign which raised just more than €40,000.
“This initial funding allowed me to bring the vision to life and I also launched a crowdfunding campaign in Japan which helped connect Sampla with a global audience early on,” Power says. Waterford LEO also provided funding support and Power estimates the start-up budget at about €75,000, excluding his own time and money.
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Power has no plans to raise money, preferring to keep control of the company and grow it organically. “I’m here for the long haul and believe that if true passion is driving product development then the business will be successful without outside investors,” he says.
Later this year, two new designs will be added, also made from the latest in leading-edge sustainable materials. “In 2019 sustainability wasn’t even mentioned in relation to footwear but things have changed very fast and more materials are becoming available all the time. My aim is to keep bending the curve of footwear innovation and sustainability,” Power says.
