Born and raised in Surat, Gujarat, Parth Dalal was working in New York before returning to India amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
A random conversation with his sister Karishma and their father motivated him to start a venture focused on sustainability.
Parth recalls an incident where their father told them how affluent families often discard shoes after barely using them. This just adds to the growing pile of shoes in the landfills, he had said.
This got the siblings thinking: If given a choice, would people, who shell out money for high-end shoes, opt for a sustainable and environmentally-conscious purchase instead?
That’s when Parth and Karishma decided to manufacture shoes that are sustainable and recyclable, unlike conventional leather or rubber shoes.
After the research and development process of two years, the siblings found a sustainable alternative to manufacture eco-friendly shoes.
“Sugarcane is widely used in India. When we drink its juice, we see the slag left behind as residue. I came across a Brazilian resin supplier that innovated sugarcane EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) copolymer, derived from sugarcane,” says Parth.
Intrigued by the innovative carbon-negative material, Parth collaborated with the company to use sugarcane EVA for making the shoes’ outsoles soft and comfortable.
In addition, they incorporated renewable and recyclable materials like merino wool and plastic water bottles to 3D-knit the shoes.
In May 2023, they launched ‘Reroute’ – a startup that utilises carbon-negative materials (such as sugarcane residue and plastic water bottles) to manufacture shoes.
While the outsoles made from sugarcane EVA provide durability and flexibility to the shoe, yarns made from single-use plastic bottles and merino wool, with its natural antibacterial properties, provide comfort for long-term use.
Interestingly, the duo recycles 11 plastic bottles to knit one pair of shoes. So far, they have turned nearly 86,000 plastic water bottles into Reroute’s proprietary knits.