South Korean start-up wants customer to assemble shoes

South Korean start-up KI Ecobe launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to create a modular shoe that the customer can assemble at home.

Better for the environment and the workers

Customers can create a model on KI Ecobe’s website, choosing elements from all types of options, before they actually buy a shoe. In total, customers can create up to 10,125 variations. After the decision-making process, the customer will get all of the parts at home and he will need to create the shoe himself.

Gyudeog Kim, KI Ecobe’s founder, has 25 years of experience in the shoe industry and feels that his shoes have several major advantages: they do not use hazardous adhesives, which creates a healthier working environment for the employees. These shoes also require less time, staff and energy to create and they are also environmentally friendly because the sole is fully recyclable and one only needs to replace the actual parts if they wear out instead of having to buy an entirely new shoe.

The idea is a huge success on Kickstarter, where it already amassed 45,000 dollars (40,000 euro) with another 25 days to go. Its initial target was to obtain 30,000 dollars (26,000 euro).