Ashey Bhave creates sneakers from waste plastic for new label Thaely

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Sep 1, 2021

Ashey Bhave, a 22-year-old entrepreneur, has launched sustainable sneaker brand Thaely with a dedicated e-commerce store and international retail presence. The brand also plans to expand into apparel.

 
Swiftly expanding its retail footprint, Thaely is now available at Level Shoes in Dubai Mall, Dubai, the brand announced on Facebook. Thaely also retails from its dedicated e-commerce store which ships worldwide. 
 
The young label is keen to continue to expand and will launch an apparel line in the near future, founder Bhave told Elle India. Other upcoming launches include wider colour combinations for its classic sneakers and high-top sneakers which are currently being prototyped.

Thaely, which takes its name from the Hindi word for a plastic bag, uses discarded plastic to create its vegan sneakers. Since its production began at the start of 2021, Thaely has recycled around 36,000 plastic bags and 25,000 plastic bottles. The brand turns the waste plastic into its own material ‘ThaelyRex’, which is similar in appearance to leather, and uses this to create its sneakers. 
 
“We use 10 plastic bags and 12 plastic bottles for one pair of Thaely Y2K Pros,” Bhave told Elle India. “We use ThaelyTex for the upper (part of a boot or shoe above the sole) and rPET made from plastic bottles for the upper and shoelaces, recycled rubber for the sole, and vegan glue. The shoe box is plantable- it’s made from recycled paper, dyed with waste coffee grounds and has basil seeds embedded in it.”