What is sustainable design?

Flat sneakers, running, high, low, laces, scratch, wheels?

As we have explained to you here , we are committed to applying a sustainable philosophy to all of our activity. When creating a pair of sneakers, the design is obviously one of the things you think about first. We found inspiration in models that have been around for decades, such as the Stan Smith, the New Balance 574, the Asics Gel Lyte III or the Nike Internationalist. If these sneakers are not necessarily durable in their production, they are in the fact that by taking care of them you never get tired of them. The big initial question was whether we were going with a flat-soled trainer like we see a lot of them today (a little favorite for those from a young French brand Belledonne) or a running-type shape, a bit more sporty. We finally decided to work on a first collection on a running shoe. In our view, there was more room to be creative and to stand out by playing with materials and shapes. It's a unisex sneaker that crosses the ages, can be worn all year round and potentially with any outfit.

Let's go into more detail about the design of these first MEEKO sneakers. We wanted to offer timeless sneakers, classics that would not lack originality. Not fashion sneakers which by definition are ephemeral and will go out of fashion tomorrow. In the book "Let my people go surfing", the founder of Patagonia explains that he sees his products rather as an artistic achievement in the sense that they are not thought of in relation to a fashion effect. That's what we try to do by working with a Japanese designer, Kaito , who seeks minimalism, efficiency and harmony over time. From our inspirations, Kaito was able to work on games of materials, waves, singular details to offer sneakers that are unlike any other. Singular, therefore, without falling into excess. So you probably won't see MEEKOs on a Fashion Week catwalk. For the first collection, this first running model will be available in 4 colors (3 unisex and one rather feminine). We voluntarily made the choice not to add a big logo on the external face of the sneakers. It was nevertheless imperative to integrate a characteristic graphic element, a brand signature that makes our models easily identifiable. Each pair of MEEKO will therefore have discreet embroidery, on the outside of the heel, representing one of the species protected by the NGOs with which we collaborate. The first collection will therefore feature a sea turtle, a Sumatran tiger, a Sumatran elephant and a Sumatran orangutan (report to the SRI, an NGO that we present to you on this page ). These same silhouettes that you can find on our logo declined in as many versions (4 if you do not follow).

In conclusion, we want to offer you original, classic, harmonious, easy-to-wear and hopefully timeless sneakers. To preview our first collection, you can register just below.

Thanks for reading. 😊

See you soon,

The MEEKO team