Inspired by early 2000s basketball and skateboarding sneaker culture, Thaely shoes are sleek and minimalistic.. The coolest part? It’s made from garbage.

The United Nations Environment Program estimates that seven billion tons of plastic waste are generated globally, with less than 10% recycled.

Thaely, which means plastic bag in Hindi, is a sneaker brand made entirely of plastic waste and has recycled more than 50,000 plastic bags.

From experimenting with a material made on the balcony of his Dubai home to having his sneakers sold in countries such as the US and Australia, student-turned-entrepreneur Ashay Bhave fuses his interests in sneakers and sustainability to bring his vision of sustainable fashion to life.

AN ACCIDENTAL ENTREPRENEUR

In 2018, Bhave was working on new ideas for his design portfolio. Born and raised in India, he noticed the discrepancy in plastic consumption and low recycling rate.

“My mom used to run a waste management plant, so I saw the plastic waste problem firsthand,” he explains. “I realized that there’s nobody recycling bags at all. Plastic bottles have been recycled for a long time, but no one was recycling plastic bags since there’s no monetary incentive to segregate and collect them, and they would end up in landfills and oceans.”

Having studied a course in accessory design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, Bhave wanted to incorporate footwear, particularly sneakers, in his concept. “I started working on the fabric itself; I wanted to create something from waste plastic bags,” Bhave says.

After a lot of research and trial and error in developing the product at his house, Bhave produced a rough fabric that “resembled some properties of leather.” On a trip back to India, Bhave took the material to a local cobbler and asked for a shoe sample. “We were able to make a functional shoe that I still have displayed in my office with very sort of rudimentary tools, nothing special. However, it showed a lot of promise.”

Source: Thaely

By this time, Bhave and his family had moved to Dubai while he studied for a business degree at Amity University Dubai, which launched its Eureka startup pitch competition in 2019. With his prototype, Bhave worked on a business plan, registered for a domain, and ultimately, won the competition.

His prototype gained the attention of one of the judges at the competition, Matteo Boffa, a Dubai-based social entrepreneur who later became Bhave’s mentor, investor, and business partner. With mentorship and funding, the 24-year-old designer made a more refined prototype at the Italian Shoe Factory in Alserkal Avenue, Dubai.

In 2020, after months of developing the recycling process, Bhave returned to India to set up the manufacturing plant and partnered with a local waste management plant. Initially, Thaely was producing only 1,000 to 2,000 sneakers per batch. “Having a factory agree to that was difficult,” says Bhave. “But we had the time and infrastructure to look for the best supplier and vendor because it’s important that [they] adhere to our ethics too.”

In July 2021, Thaely’s website officially launched. “We were shipping from India but selling worldwide,” says Bhave. Simultaneously, the brand also launched at Level Shoes in Dubai Mall – a feat for a young brand to be featured at one of the largest luxury shoe stores, alongside brands such as Adidas, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Christian Dior.

Handmade and 100% vegan, each sneaker is made up of 10 upcycled plastic bags and 12 recycled plastic bottles. The upper part of the shoe uses ThaelyTex, the leather-like fabric that Bhave invented entirely out of plastic bags, without any additional chemicals.

For its tote box, lining, and laces, the brand uses rPet fabric, made using recycled plastic bottles yarn. The sole is recycled rubber, with shoelaces made of recycled plastic bottles and vegan glue.

Source: Thaely

Today, Thaely has upgraded its manufacturing factory. “Before, we were able to recycle about 700 kilos of waste plastic bags a month, and now, we’re able to do it three times a month,” Bhave claims.

With an office in Dubai and Delhi, Thaely is rapidly expanding. Apart from Level Shoes, it’s also available at That Concept Store in Dubai, and VegNonGeg in India. They are also available in a few stores in Australia. “Our biggest so far from website sales is the US. It makes up about 40% of all sales,” says Bhave. It’s also in Germany and the UK. Last year, Dubai-based school The Swiss International School also incorporated the sustainable Y2K Pro trainer into its official uniform.

THE ROAD AHEAD

Talking about funding, Bhave notes that they initially started with a friends and family round (“which was about $160,000”), assisted by early investor and supporter Boffa. It had its second round of funding in February of this year of $1.1 million, which Bhave says they’re hoping to follow with a $5 million round this year. They’ve also received an undisclosed investment from Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra Group, an Indian multinational conglomerate.

While some note how the MENA entrepreneurial landscape is facing a funding freeze, Bhave shares a timely reminder: “If you have a good idea, and you have the right funding and business plan, I don’t think there’s any good or bad time to start a business.”

“There were multiple businesses that started in the last recession in 2008 [that are still doing well now]. As long as you can solve pressing issues, I think your business will be successful,” Bhave says. “There are challenges, but there are people and funds out there looking for young brands – they want to join during the early stage or seed round.”

So, has being a young entrepreneur impacted his journey? “At first, having people take you seriously was a little difficult. What’s positive is I am the target market we’re selling,” says Bhave.

Looking ahead, Bhave is keen on its launch in France this year, which would involve retailing to a few stores, having a warehouse, and its first physical flagship. “We want to do something similar in America next year, too,” he adds.