High-Tech Materials meet sustainability. Regional production meets global support. Plastic waste meets up-cycling. And natural fabrics replace throw away materials. Paprcuts sneakers last longer and can be recycled much better than almost any other shoe in the market. We not only want to create just another pair of shoes, but we want to create YOUR FAVORITE PAIR OF SNEAKERS.​

Our Paprcuts Sneaker will be available in two basic colours: black and white. But we wouldn’t be Paprcuts if we wouldn’t go a bit crazy - that’s why we’ve also used our favorite and best selling designs to highlight our shoes.

Materials are the key to a proper shoe. So we decided to combine the best High-Tech materials to create an innovative pair of sneakers. For further information, just scroll down!

Most shoes have traveled thousands of kilometres even before you’ve bought them. They get produced in developing countries under harsh circumstances. We really want to break this cycle and leave our CO2 footprint as small as possible - so in our 8 years of Paprcuts history we always go for short value chain. 

This is one reason why we decided to source all of our materials from Europe, produce in Portugal and ship from Germany. We have all the possibilities right in front of our door — support the local economy, reduce CO2 and shorten delivery routes at the same time.

Behind all these ideas is a small team of graphic lovers who never lose their drive in creating amazing accessories. We got so bored of all the dull designs out there. The world is full of individualists - everyone should express their own personality in their belongings.

You want to make the world a bit more colorful and sustainable? Follow Paprcuts. Join our journey.

The global footwear market is a multi-billion U.S. dollar industry dominated by China, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia. This Asia Pacific region accounts for over 75 percent of global shoe production. However, it's exactly these countries that are often linked to labor exploitation. Minimum wages, excessive working hours, restriction of worker's rights, and unacceptable health and safety conditions are common practices.

"Don’t get us wrong, we love big sneaker brands! We just think that we can make the process of shoe production a bit better. Producing locally and ensuring great working benefits has been crucial to our company from the very beginning.”

Hence, we began to scout for production sites within the European Union, where there are high standards in regards to labor as well as environmental restrictions. Our attention was quickly drawn to a seemingly inconspicuous small town in the Porto District in the North of Portugal.

Porto District stands out by being the heart of footwear production in all of Europe. Amongst a number of possible partners, one factory clearly stood out to us. Managed by a team of 2nd generation footwear producers with over 40 years experience in the market, our production partner not only convinced us with their dedication to their craft, but also by emphasising a welcoming and personal relationship from the very first day. This guaranteed an efficient learning process for us as we entered the shoe market for the first time. Permanent improvements and high flexibility, as well as the ongoing consideration of our wishes and requirements resulted in a unique end product.

HIGH QUALITY | HIGH PRODUCTION STANDARDS

Highest standards are ensured by our production partner to use excellent materials only. All materials are subject to strict controls and are continuously tested in specialised laboratories for quality check as well as providing distinctive solutions integrated with the environment.

Our new production partner also complimented our commitment to social responsibilities through the compliance of labour law, good practice and outstanding working conditions. Taking care for everyone involved in our supply chain is a matter close to our hearts. Amongst our numerous visits at their factory, our production partner proved themselves by having audit reports available to us at all times. We truly could not have wished for a better collaborator in this project and the high quality of our new Paprcuts Sneakers speaks for itself!

We care about the environment and so we decided to search for a solution to neutralize the CO2 that emerges during the shoe’s production. For each pair of shoes you buy, we will plant a mangrove tree in Bangladesh. Our partner Hudara will help us to realize this project, they were founded in 2015 and are very experienced. 

Mangrove trees are very efficient in absorbing CO2, they do it 1.7 times more effective compared to mixed forest. They also protect shorelines from damaging storm and hurricane winds, waves, and floods. Bangladesh is a country with extreme climate changes, they have huge temperature differences throughout the year, heavy rainfalls, floods, tornados or salinisation of the agars. Therefore, we decided to collaborate with Hudara and help them with their mangrove reforestation project in Bangladesh - producing locally while helping globally! 

Planting one tree means that we are able to compensate for the CO2 footprint of our shoe production by over two to three times! In short, by wearing our shoes you’re not only being climate neutral, but even climate positive. ​

Let us explain why Mangrove trees — These trees are a wonder of nature! They have a huge root system that acts as homes to different marine life. This is important for two different reasons. First, for obtaining the diversity of the species and second, for supporting the main industrial sector—fishing! Moreover, mangroves are not only a breeding place for a plethora of aquatic animals but also a natural castle for birds, monkeys and turtles. Because of this stable root system mangrove trees are protecting the land and coastlines from strong waves and floods.​

Tyvek® is the favourite material of our company. To this day, we stick with it for all of our products due to its variety of superpowers:
Tyvek® is a great alternative for all the animal lovers out there — unlike real leather, there are no animals harmed in its production. We believe that every living being should be treated with respect, thus we support animal rights and have committed ourselves to producing cruelty free products.
Tyvek® is a material as equally robust as leather. For instance, it's also used for the stabilisation of avalanche slopes. At the same time, it is light and feels just like paper. But no need to worry, in contrast to paper, Tyvek® is water repellent and will keep your feet dry at all times.
Tyvek® is produced in Luxembourg, so we only have a very little CO2 footprint in comparison to fabrics imported from far away like Asia. It is 100% recyclable, leaving endless possibilities for recreating new products while preserving our planet and its resources.

The synthetic leather we chose for our toe cap is supplied by a small factory in Italy that has dedicated itself to producing completely vegan materials. It is also approved by PETA.
The material is made out of Bio Polyols, which are elements derived from plant materials that could not be used for food farms or animal feed. It contains more than 50% of organic content coming from renewable sources.
But of course, the focus on sustainability does not end there, the facilities are fully powered by photovoltaic generators. This supports our vision to set a positive example and produce our products using environmentally friendly methods.

The increasing pollution of our oceans is a topic that can no longer be ignored. 70% of the oxygen we breathe is produced by the oceans. Therefore we must not underestimate their impact on our lives. At Paprcuts, we aim to set a positive example in mainstream fashion world by using recycled polyester for our shoe’s outside mesh. Plastic waste, such as PET bottles or abandoned fishing nets, is collected by local fishermen in the Mediterranean Sea and then is up-cycled into yarn by our supplier located in Alicante, Spain.
The final mesh is a combination of this yarn and 100% GOTS (GLOBAL ORGANIC TEXTILE STANDARD) certified organic cotton. The certification grants, fair working conditions for all people involved in the material's supply chain and ecological responsibilities, such as a low CO2 footprint, organic production systems maintaining soil fertility, and banning toxic and persistent pesticides are well taken care of.Given our focus on saving the environment, we chose a natural over petroleum-containing synthetic rubber for the sole of our shoes. Caoutchouc is a renewable resource which is cultivated and harvested sustainably. That being said, natural rubber is also biodegradable and can therefore be easily recycled. Moreover, the energy consumption for its production is only around 10% than that of synthetic rubber.
Due to its high elasticity, natural rubber adapts itself to your foot. This prevents both pressure points and pain even after long wear. Natural rubber is characterized by its outstanding durability, since the material bounces back into its original shape once the weight is lifted off. This guarantees great comfort in everyday life as well as during activities involving a lot of standing and walking such as city trips or concerts!Soft, lightweight and breathable — these are the most important factors when talking about the inner fabric of a shoe. This is why we decided to use the Coolmax® system.
Coolmax® is a fabric is known for its optimal moisture removal and exceptionally good breathability. The surface of Coolmax's fibres is up to 25% larger compared to regular polyester. Therefore, moisture is transported to the outside fast where it evaporates, allowing the fabric to dry extremely quickly.

You might be surprised to know that conventional cotton accounts for nearly 25% of the insecticides and 10% of the pesticides used throughout the world.
In contrast, organic cotton is produced without using any chemical fertilisers, pesticides or insecticides. Organic cotton is not only beneficial for the environment but is also a lot safer in regards to the health and wellbeing of the farmers and other contributors involved throughout our supply chain.

Our inside footbed is produced from cork. Cork trees are naturally found in the Mediterranean region close to our production site in Portugal.
Cork is an environmentally friendly all-rounder: It is a buoyant, elastic, and fire and water resistant material. Additionally, the focus on sustainability, recyclability and highest comfortability make cork an indispensable component for us.

Paprcuts is made up of 40 exceptionally talented, international team members hailing from different parts of the globe. This diversity is the groundwork of our creativity. The company was founded by Nils in 2011, when he wanted to start his own project.

Since 2012, Paprcuts has completed two crowdfunding campaigns because we believe that a crowd is always stronger than a single person. Our first crowdfunding- "The Thinnest wallet of all Times", was an amazing experience, we were trusted by over 800 backers and got 180% more funding than our fixed goal of 12,000. Aaaaand - are you still using your wallet? 

In 2017 we had a great vision of producing Paprcuts Watches. 2075 backers helped us to reach a whopping 106.271 Euro in just one month. This meant we were able to realize this project and develop a watch which actually looks like a simple wristband. Since then our watches have been one of our bestsellers — produced in the heart of Berlin. 

Our team has been growing really fast since the last two years — we have an in-house creative, marketing, support team and our own production facility in Berlin. The most important thing we have is a team that believes in the same values. We believe in producing regionally with higher standards - creating colorful and practical things. We never stand still and are always thinking of taking a new step towards a conscious lifestyle.