Yerba Madre creates dirt shoes.
01.07.2025To help you beat the summer heat, we’d like to share something a little quirky with you today. The beverage brand Yerba Madre recently unveiled its latest creation: DIRT SHOES. As the name suggests, they are made of dirt. According to the advertising, they are the ultimate way to stay connected to Mother Earth wherever you put your feet.
It goes on to say: “They are designed to break apart when you walk, scattering wildflower seeds. This is a reminder of the special connection between all living things.”
The “Dirt Shoes” project is part of an initiative to spark interest in the mate tea company – in short, a creative publicity stunt. However, according to the company, it is also “a sign of renewal, circular economy, and a commitment to give back more to the earth than we take from it.”
The online magazine dezeen reports that Yerba Madre collaborated with New York design studio Basura to create the shoes.
Dezeen continues: “The Dirt Shoes have a silhouette reminiscent of clogs, with textured outer and mid soles pressed onto the outside.”
They are made from a marbled mixture of earth and “some organic fibers” held together with acacia gum or tree resin and sprinkled with wildflower seeds along the sole.
Basura founder Rajeev Basu told dezeen: “The goal was to create the most surprising shoe.”
“The idea of a high-quality, stylish sneaker that you actually want to own and that happens to be made of soil seemed like a fun way to bring this idea to life.” He added: “It was a double technical challenge because, on the one hand, the shoes had to be comfortable to wear, but on the other hand, they had to disintegrate reliably soon after to be returned to the earth and release the wildflower seeds.”
Basura uses environmentally friendly manufacturing techniques to produce the shoes. 3D-printed molds are used, but the shoes are handmade and finished by hand. This means that each shoe is unique.