You might mistake some brightly coloured animal shapes and toys for a mirage whilst exploring the East African coast, though in actual fact, it’s a unique and beautiful eco-friendly phenomenon. Local Kenyans of The Ocean Sole group based in Nairobi, have been creating artistic masterpieces out of used flip flops for nearly 10 years.
The concept continues to grow and attract attention. The euphoric colours used are enough to cause you kaleidoscope vision, being as lively and vibrant as the communities who make them.
The team transforms used flip flops into animals such as lions, dolphins, rhinos, elephants, giraffes, crafting animal jewelry also, some of which have made an appearance at Paris Fashion Week on the catwalk! Founder of the project Julie Church said:
"We are focused mainly on animals. Our target markets are zoos, aquariums and museums worldwide -- we've done that because that's what we're good at making at the moment but we are exploring other products too."
We can’t wait to see what the group comes up with next!
Church says the aim is to get people purchasing the products and in turn, make them interested in the back story. A non profit ecotourism organisation named The Oceanic Society, are one of 10 distributors selling Church’s innovative crafts online though they are the only distributor who send 100% of profits back to conservation – if you want to make your contribution really count, this is a great place to find these distinctive pieces of art.
The background to the process includes drying out the flip flops before the creation process begins, a lathe is used to smooth off edges and if necessary, the beads are punched from the soles. The colours of the shoes lend themselves spectacularly to the art that’s being produced, bold, bright and oozing happiness – you literally feel better just looking at these colours!
The Ocean Sole really have opened a can of worms with their approach to creativity, finding a completely new angle where conservation is concerned. Perhaps this is only the start of recycling flip flops - who knew they could be so versatile!
If you want to donate or find ways to get involved, check out The Ocean Sole Foundation page.