It all started in 2018 when Bernardo challenged her Grandma, with over 50 years of experience in textiles, to start a hemp shoe brand. An idea that first originated in a friend’s night out and ended up in a super successful Kickstarter campaign where the team raised a total of $250.000, 25x the original goal.
Since launch, the project has been constantly selling out because of shortages of raw materials and also because of the increasing demand for the shoes. The 8000Kicks shoes are among the top-rated shoes in the world with 4.8/5 on Trustpilot, the independent review source.
Introducing the new Seeker
420 is around the corner, and 8000kicks is ready to throw some “spice in the bud”. The Seeker is the newest model, adding to the store’s flagship model, the Explorer, which already sells in 8 colors.
The Seeker comes in 2 colors, all beige, and black and white. Both of these colors come with a very stylish anti-slip recycled rubber outsole. The shoes are pretty distinguishable because of those recycled colorful garbage speckles inside, that help with grip and also make the shoes look less dirty.
So, why cannabis hemp fibers?
8000Kicks shoes are not for smoking, and the team makes sure to add that note in every product to scare away any crazy ideas.
Hemp is the “sober cousin” of marijuana. It has a minimal amount of psychoactive components, and for that reason, it is legal everywhere in the world. Hemp has a very long history of being used as a fiber and it has been cultivated by George Washington himself to produce ropes, ship sails, and others. Cannabis is so strong Henry Ford once built a car with it.
But there’s more, Hemp is also super sustainable:
- Unlike cotton, it needs no fertilizers;
- Unlike cotton, it needs almost no water to grow;
- It naturally captures CO2 from the atmosphere;
- It restaurants nutrients on the soil (it is even used in Chernobyl to clean the soils from radiation).
“We have been sourcing hemp from every corner of the world. It is super interesting that every country we visited had some sort of connection with the plant. Before being banned for over 50y, hemp was the go-to fiber for everything. Because of my grandmother’s old age, her experience was essential to bring the products to life, she is a kind of a CTO (chief textile officer) for us.” Says Bernardo the CEO, with a big smile.
The brand has been leading in hemp textile innovation (socks, masks, wallets, etc.) on the back of this “hemp grandmother”. One of the brand’s greatest achievements was the proprietary hemp insole. The hemp footbeds, which are also a 1st of its kind., have awarded the brand great reviews since its inception because of their comfort and because of their anti-bacterial and odor free properties.
Splash-proof?
Another great feature of the seeker is that the shoes come in with weatherproof protection. 8000Kicks has developed a proprietary wax coating that protects the fabric and its properties from stains, liquids and dust particles. This will make the fabric very easy to clean as well.
But there’s more, each shoe comes in with a waterproof membrane that keeps liquids out while allowing feet to breathe.
100% Vegan and sustainable
The brand has a strong ethos against animal by-products. Because of that, all its components are vegan and as biodegradable as possible (the seeker is 99% compostable).
The Seeker is all-natural and recycled materials that help the brand close the full circle in terms of sustainability. Because of that, the estimated footprint per pair is only 5.3kg of CO2. Manufacturing a pair of running shoes emits around 14kg of CO2 into the atmosphere, while a pair of leather shoes can reach up to 100Kg, that’s like flying across the US. Despite the low footprint, the team is also committed to offsetting the 5.3Kg per shoe by planting trees around the world.
The new 8000Kicks Seeker is launching on April 20th and can be acquired for 125€ or $135, with free fast shipping and free returns/exchanges in the EU/USA.
420 is calling for Hemp shoes, and you can do that while supporting this small family business from Portugal.
Product details
The Seeker is the everyday office casual model by 8000Kicks. It features a mix of a recycled rubber bottom with a sleek designed hemp upper. It comes with the proprietary hemp insole that adapts to your feet while being anti-bacterial and anti-microbial.
- ⚖️ Only 300g | 0.60lb
- 💪 Durable Hemp fibers
- 💦 Water Repellent (PFC Free)
- 🍁 World’s 1st Hemp Insoles
- ♻️ Recycled rubber soles
- 🌱 100% vegan
- 🏃 Sleek design
Contact Person:
- Name: Bernardo Carreira
- Product: The Seeker
- Phone: +351 918180112 | +14784014950
- Email: mail@8000kicks.com
- Sign up page: https://www.8000kicks.com/pages/seeker-launch-apr2022-v8/
Final Shoe page link when live:
- MEN: https://www.8000kicks.com/products/seeker-for-men-all-beige
- WOMEN: https://www.8000kicks.com/products/seeker-for-women-all-beige
- Press Kit: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1kWaXtVBsdNjSIQXo5EOLZbxIoNhNIkf3
