Updated
VAER
VAER makes sneakers out of textile waste: jeans from the Salvation Army, decommissioned workwear from Elis and Europcar, and hotel tablecloths past their prime. The Copenhagen brand produces with a family-owned factory near Porto, Portugal, designs its shoes to be recyclable and takes them back to turn into new soles.
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Image: VAER
What they make, where they make it
- Products
- Sneakers
- Based in
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Made in
- Portugal
Who it's for, how to get it
- For
- Unisex
- Price range
- Up to 200€
- Ships to
- Country-specific
“We use waste to make fashion. Today less than 1% of the discarded textiles are being recirculated into new fashion products. We are here to change this statistic and unlock the superpowers of upcycling to give a new life to as many imperfect textiles as possible.”
Source: VAER, Our Story
How they make and what they value
01.
Production location and method
- All sneakers are made by a family-owned factory near Porto, Portugal.
- Suppliers and factory were deliberately chosen close together, almost all in Portugal; only the laces come from Italy.
- Source textiles come from the Salvation Army Denmark, Elis, Europcar and WHY 7 Jeans.
02.
Material sourcing and origin
- Jeans too damaged to resell become sneaker uppers, sourced from the Salvation Army in Denmark.
- Workwear from Elis and Europcar is often produced but never worn before being decommissioned.
- Hotel tablecloths that have lost their colour get a second life as shoe material.
- Laces come from Italy until a Portuguese recycled cotton lace supplier is found.
03.
Sustainability and longevity
- Sneakers are designed to be recyclable, and the take-back programme turns worn pairs into soles for the next generation.
- To date the brand counts 4.640 kg CO2 equivalent and 210.000 litres of water saved.
- An upcycled textile roll is in development through the EU-funded Closing Loops project, so other companies can upcycle too.
- Parts of the shoes are biodegradable under the right conditions, per the FAQ.
- Copenhagen orders are delivered by bike by the team itself.
04.
Business values
- Started as founder Lili's thesis project and grown into a Copenhagen company.
- The team page names the four women behind the brand, from CEO to head of sustainability.
- If sneakers do not fit, the brand sends a new size or refunds with a pre-paid return label, because unworn shoes are not sustainable.
- Awards include Visa She's Next 2024, SDG Tech Awards 2020 and CSE Start-up Awards 2020.
Notes from Lisa · 20.08.2026
Sneakers that close their own loop, from waste textile to new sole.
VAER is a really cool upcycling brand. They make sneakers out of textile waste, and on top of that they have designed them so you can send them back to be recycled, especially the sole, which can be turned into a new sole. I love how much they care about what production leaves behind, and how far they go to reduce it. A few pictures behind the scenes of how the shoes are made would be nice. And the pricing is good too: a shoe made in Portugal from recycled materials for 128€.
Lisa Walter, Editor