Footwear Futures – mapping secondhand shoe flows

AI Quick Summary

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes are gaining importance. In Switzerland, the new industry association Fabric Loop is developing an EPR system for collecting textiles and shoes, while awareness of sustainable footwear use grows. These trends call for effective EPR models that enable global footwear flows with higher reuse rates. This project explores secondhand shoe markets by building a knowledge base from stakeholder analysis, interviews, and a technology scan. It assesses shoe quality, market demand, sorting technologies, and feasibility of secondhand systems, while also addressing ethical and environmental desirability. The results will provide insights into practical and sustainable pathways for scaling circular practices in the footwear sector and offer an initial evaluation of this innovation’s long-term feasibility, viability, and desirability.     Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes are becoming increasingly important. In Switzerland, the newly established industry association Fabric Loop is building up an EPR system for the collection of textiles and shoes. At the same time, awareness of the sustainable use of footwear is growing. These developments highlight the need for designing effective and efficient EPR schemes enabling global footwear flows with higher reuse rates. Therefore, this project investigates secondhand markets for shoes by creating a new knowledge base based on stakeholder analysis and interviews and combining it with a technology scan. It further assesses the quality of returned shoes, the demand for secondhand shoes, potential markets, and the availability of sorting technologies and, therefore, evaluates the feasibility of secondhand markets. The study also evaluates the desirability including ethical and environmental considerations. Finally, the viability is addressed within a business model development taking place aligned with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes. The outcome will deliver insights into both practical and sustainable pathways for scaling circular practices in the footwear industry and a first evaluation of this innovations potential for long-term viability, feasibility and desirability.

Project Idea Metadata

• Project Idea Name: Footwear Futures – mapping secondhand shoe flows
• Date: 8/28/2025 12:32:43 PM
• Administrators:
  • Maja Wiprächtiger

Project Idea Description

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes are becoming increasingly important. In Switzerland, the newly established industry association Fabric Loop is building up an EPR system for the collection of textiles and shoes. At the same time, awareness of the sustainable use of footwear is growing. These developments highlight the need for designing effective and efficient EPR schemes enabling global footwear flows with higher reuse rates.

Therefore, this project investigates secondhand markets for shoes by creating a new knowledge base based on stakeholder analysis and interviews and combining it with a technology scan. It further assesses the quality of returned shoes, the demand for secondhand shoes, potential markets, and the availability of sorting technologies and, therefore, evaluates the feasibility of secondhand markets. The study also evaluates the desirability including ethical and environmental considerations. Finally, the viability is addressed within a business model development taking place aligned with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes. The outcome will deliver insights into both practical and sustainable pathways for scaling circular practices in the footwear industry and a first evaluation of this innovations potential for long-term viability, feasibility and desirability.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes are gaining importance. In Switzerland, the new industry association Fabric Loop is developing an EPR system for collecting textiles and shoes, while awareness of sustainable footwear use grows. These trends call for effective EPR models that enable global footwear flows with higher reuse rates.

This project explores secondhand shoe markets by building a knowledge base from stakeholder analysis, interviews, and a technology scan. It assesses shoe quality, market demand, sorting technologies, and feasibility of secondhand systems, while also addressing ethical and environmental desirability.

The results will provide insights into practical and sustainable pathways for scaling circular practices in the footwear sector and offer an initial evaluation of this innovation’s long-term feasibility, viability, and desirability.