It wouldn’t be too far off the mark to say that creating sneakers with Merino wool helped people take notice of Neeman’s. The Hyderabad brand helmed by Taran Chhabra and Amar Preet, also scored brownie points with loyalists as its shoes look stylish, are available in various colours and are sustainable too. Co-founder and chief executive officer, Taran, reminisces about how they always chose their material while being mindful of the fact that it did not impact the environment adversely. They aren’t limited by seasonal fast fashion trends either. “Our wool joggers came with temperature regulating properties that make them suitable for all-year wear. Even our Cotton Classic sneakers are made of natural cotton, and our Eco Flips use recyclable material.”
On the slow train
Before Neeman’s came into being, the founder and chief executive officer of the label, Taran, travelled from one place to another understanding the different kinds of footwear one can find in different countries.
.jpg?w=640&auto=format%2Ccompress)
“I discovered that footwear in India was either stylish or comfortable. So I travelled to several countries to learn more. I figured that this craft is more of an art than science. Being a shoe enthusiast, I wanted to address this void and create footgear that was comfortable all day and anywhere,” elaborates the founder and chief executive officer, who moved back to India in 2018. He was back in the city from New Jersey, United States after realising what his calling was. Soon, he was joined by his brother, Amar, co-founder and chief operations officer to start the label a couple of years ago.
Waste no more
With their new collection, ReLive Knits, the brothers have taken their eco-conscious policy another step forward. Taran shares, “When the material is neither renewable or eco-friendly, we try to transform them into something sustainable. That is what we have done with our latest launch. Plastic waste is one of the key pollutants, but we gave this material a second chance by transforming them into comfortable and trendy shoes.” We learn that they made an effort to collect the plastic bottles that have been thrown and disposed around oceans and landfills. Post that, they recycled and employed a 3D knitting machine to create the upper of the sneakers in this range. After collecting, recycling, and washing the discarded plastic bottles, they were shredded into small flakes, which were then melted, cooled and transformed into shoes of desired colour. During our chat with Taran, we find out that the new collection offers sneakers and slip-ons as well. “We have also used other natural materials such as bamboo insoles, castor bean oil, natural and recycled rubber to craft the various parts of the shoe,” he informs. They are also lightweight hence can be worn for longer periods. The best bit though is the choice of colours to complement the clothes in your wardrobe — take your pick from black, steel grey, fiery red and classic ivory.