Every little detail – Handcrafted in Detroit and L.A. in collaboration using our proprietary men’s and women’s lasts, for the perfect fit – A timeless urban utility sneaker built for the long haul. The comfort of a sneaker combined with the styling of a boot. – Premium, upcycled leathers from the car industry in Detroit. Sturdy and durable for long-lasting wear. – Made in USA laces- OrthoLite® anti-microbial insole, for supreme cushioning and breathability- Rubber outsole with renowned Vibram® rubber (white), or solid rubber outsoles (black) provides superior traction, durability, and support ** The Mayor is made-to-order and will deliver by March 31, 2023 (at the latest).  We craft every pair with care! There will only be 500 pairs total produced, and each pair will be embossed with its unique production number. The story behind the Mayor Every step matters! That’s the binding philosophy between Pingree Detroit and COMUNITYmade.
Source: Men’s The Mayor
Sneaker Impact has been intentional about finding more solutions to EXLOS (Extending the Life of Sneakers) and keep materials out of landfills. Our Curb to Grid component is important, but we’ve initiated the process of studying how to breakdown sneakers safely and create products from the waste and materials. This process is difficult as there are so many parts in the crafting of a sneaker. We will discuss this in greater detail in the future. This post is about an amazing sneaker project you should definitely learn about. When we see something that represents vital aspects of sustainability, we are excited to share. The Mayor is a sneaker crafted by Made in the USA company COMUNITYmade in partnership with Pingree Detroit.
We’ve featured COMUNITYmade on this site before, but this one is much different. The Mayor was crafted via social and environmental upcycling. What is social upcycling? We like to think of it as nurturing relationships that help to promote recycling and upcycling in manufacturing. While our business relies on the physical collection of sneakers to EXLOS, when people in different parts of the country use their connections to create, that’s a beautiful form of social upcycling. This is how The Mayor sneaker came to lead the charge of an important collaboration.
The Pingree Detroit team, co-owned by Veterans and Detroiters, makes bags, home goods, pet products, accessories, and footwear – all handmade using high-quality leather reclaimed from the Detroit auto industry… since 2015, the company has kept more than 18 tons of materials, like leather, seatbelt webbing and airbag material, out of landfills. Seventy-seven cents of every dollar of profit made by the company goes towards veterans and the team.
Co-founder and CEO Jarret Schlaff was introduced to the founders of COMMUNITYmade – footwear industry executives (and husband and wife) Sean and Shannon Scott – by Dr. D’Wayne Edwards, founder of PENSOLE Lewis College of Business and Design in Portland, Oregon and now in Detroit as an HBCU (Historically Black College and University). With the college being the preeminent footwear design school in the world, Dr. Edwards had previously connected with both companies to help with the shoe design and manufacturing curriculum. He then introduced the likeminded founders together, birthing what Schlaff and the Scotts hope to be a lifelong relationship.
The outcome of social upcycling led to a sneaker made from automobile waste. Designed in Detroit and crafted in Los Angeles bringing the reshoring of sneaker manufacturing full circle with the best timing we’ve seen on Veteran’s Day. This is possibly the most important sneaker collaboration of the year. While sneaker culture will celebrate more hyped sneakers, this is the type of groundbreaking work that helps to create a better method of make. Only 500 pairs of The Mayor will be made, and they will ship March of 2023. Important things to note:
- The sneaker is made from upcycled automobile leather and airbags.
- Making the sneaker in the U.S. removes the CO2 associated with shipping and flying products from countries like Vietnam and China where many sneakers are made.
- Pingree and COMUNITYmade both have charitable aspects of their business.
- There isn’t any storage and warehousing of products as they are made and shipped.
To learn more about each company use these links, and kudos to the teams at Pingree Detroit and COMUNITYmade.
COMUNITYmade premium and custom shoes handmade locally in Los Angeles
