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If your shoes wear out do you throw them away, have them repaired, or try to recycle them? Recycling your shoes may prove challenging. Although there are a few shoe recycling programs in existence shoes often can't be recycled because of the adhesives used in their construction. Designer Ben Chappell hopes to changes this with Think.

It is Ben Chappell's innovative thinking that has helped him design Think, a shoe prototype, which will allow consumers to recycle the shoe as well as exchange parts of it for newer or cooler ones. 

The general idea of Think is to create the shoe so that it is attached with mechanical locks instead of adhesive. The mechanical locks would allow the consumer to easily take the shoe apart and replace and recycle any part that is worn out (ex. the heel of the shoe) or no longer fashionable.

The exchangeable parts come in several designs and colors. So, if I am assuming correctly, this may allow the consumer to have the same pair of Think shoes for several years without constantly having to live with the same design and color. Think of the money saved on shoes and of course the reduction in landfill waste.

In addition there are ideas in the works to begin a Think recycling programs where consumers return an old part of the shoe to a retailer and in return the consumer receives a discount on her next Think purchase.

If you think this shoe could revolutionize the way shoes are made? You may be right, but we wont know until the shoe design is complete and comes on the market. When will that be? The designer is not sure yet, but he's working on it now to get it out there.

What do you think of the Think shoes? Would you buy them? Me? I would like to know how comfortable Think shoes are supposed to be. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Via Yanko Design and Ben Chappell.

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