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The cool sustainable sneaker brand Veja just opened its first shoe repair shop in Brooklyn where all brands of shoes are given a second life.
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Reducing, reusing, and repairing can make a huge difference when it comes to winning the fight against pollution and waste. Some estimates suggest that out of the 25 billion pairs of shoes produced yearly, 95% of them will be thrown into landfills. While those numbers can be disheartening, it also presents an opportunity to go against the status quo and adopt a different buy and use model. One such model, takes inspiration from the past of cobblers and artisans and can be found in the new Veja store in Brooklyn. Similar to its sister shop in Nolita, this store is an open space that beautifully displays its footwear. But there’s one major difference, this shop is its first shoe repair shop in the U.S. that aims to discourage waste and preserve what we have so that we can wear them longer.
The VEJA shoe repair shop opened in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in the beginning of April. The 2300 square foot space was designed by Veja’s teams in collaboration with the architects of Office JDY. The original brick walls, concrete floors, and wooden ceilings were kept, while wew wooden benches, plaster displays, and a wooden stand were also added. Fans who find it hard to say goodbye to a particular pair or those simply seeking a sustainable solution to reduce waste will also enjoy the in-store cobbler workshop where shoes can be repaired while customer enjoy the courtyard space.
With the launch of its new Williamsburg store, Veja hopes to revive the art of shoe repair with its Brooklyn cobbler studio. The French sneaker brand brings its sleek and minimalistic style into the ancient trade in the hopes of empowering masters, journeymen & journeywomen, and apprentices of the trade. As well as further ingraining sustainability into the company’s marketing efforts.
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The Clean, Repair and Collect project launched by Veja in June 2020 involves installing shoe cobblers at stores worldwide. In order to keep shoes from filling landfills too soon, the project gives customers the option of cleaning and repairing their shoes or sneakers. If the shoes cannot be repaired, they are also collected for recycling.
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Nestled in the corner of the 2,300-square-foot store is the small workshop of 54 square feet, with a resident cobbler who can repair any type of shoe, Veja or not. That means that customers can bring in any shoe that they need to be repaired. Veja’s shoe cobbler services range from simple repairs to complex repairs and complete renewals, with prices ranging from $10-$90.
As part of Veja’s new Williamsburg location, the brand plans to host exhibitions, activations, and other community events outdoors. In all Veja spaces and shops, the Williamsburg retail and cobbler space represents the essence of how the sneakers are made–by minimizing production waste, which is inevitable in any production process, especially sneaker production.