For his new company Thaely, Ashey Bhave produces sneakers out of scrap plastic

1st Sep 2021, Mumbai:

Ashey Bhave, a 22-year-old entrepreneur, has founded Thaely, a sustainable sneaker company with an e-commerce store and international distribution.

The company also intends to branch out into clothes. Thaely has expanded its retail reach and is now available at Level Shoes in Dubai Mall, according to the brand's Facebook page.

Thaely also retails via its own e-commerce store which ships internationally. According to founder Bhave, the young company is eager to develop and will introduce an apparel line in the near future. Wider color options for its traditional shoes and high-top sneakers, which are now being prototyped, are also on the way.

Thaely, which gets its name from the Hindi word for "plastic bag," makes vegan sneakers out of discarded plastic. Thaely has recycled roughly 36,000 plastic bags and 25,000 plastic bottles since its operations began in early 2021. The brand transforms waste plastic into its own material, dubbed 'ThaelyRex,' which resembles leather and is used to make sneakers. “For one pair of Thaely Y2K Pros, we use 10 plastic bags and 12 plastic bottles,” Bhave told Elle India. “We utilize ThaelyTex for the upper (the section 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 for the upper and shoelaces. The shoe box is plantable because it is constructed of recycled paper, colored with leftover coffee grounds, and contains basil seeds.”

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