Hugs & Co. Selected for Exhibition at Sweden's Bon Orbit Design Gallery

The Environmental Challenge: Rethinking Tyre Waste

Globally, over 1 billion tyres reach the end of their usable road life every year. Engineered specifically to resist extreme friction, heat, and physical wear, tyre rubber is deliberately designed not to decompose easily. Historically, this durability has made end-of-life tyres a critical environmental challenge. Massive tyre stockpiles and landfills present significant land-use issues and fire hazards, while incineration releases carbon emissions and harmful pollutants into the atmosphere.

However, the very qualities that make scrap tyres difficult to discard—exceptional grip, flexibility, shock absorption, and extreme resilience—make them a high-tech resource when redirected back into the manufacturing chain. By shifting the perspective from viewing used rubber as waste to treating it as a raw material, the fashion and design sectors can significantly reduce their reliance on virgin synthetics and lower overall energy consumption.

The Bon Orbit Gallery: Repurposed Performance in Sweden

Located in Sweden, the Bon Orbit exhibition space operates at the intersection of material science, circular design, and artistic expression. Created as a joint initiative by Swedish Tyre Recycling and Norwegian Tyre Recycling, Bon Orbit acts as both a resource developer and a physical gallery dedicated to showcasing products crafted from upcycled and recycled car tyres.

The gallery curates pieces across architecture, interior design, and luxury fashion to demonstrate how reclaimed tyre rubber can be transformed into high-performance, everyday items. Guided by its core Rethink Philosophy, Bon Orbit provides a platform where visitors, designers, and industry leaders can observe how circular manufacturing replaces raw material extraction without compromising on structural integrity or design aesthetic.

Why Hugs & Co. Was Chosen for the Exhibition

Bon Orbit selected Hugs & Co. to feature in their curated collection because our footwear embodies a seamless convergence of luxury British craftsmanship and low-impact mechanical recycling.

Many traditional driving loafers suffer from a functional limitation: rubber stud soles wear down quickly on urban pavements, restricting their use and shortening the lifespan of the shoe. Hugs & Co. solved this by engineering an upcycled tyre tread sole stamped directly from tread plates sourced from discarded road tyres.

Key Factors for Selection:

• Mechanical Low-Energy Upcycling: Rather than melting down rubber using high-heat chemical processes, our tyre soles are mechanically stripped and stamped using traditional leather-cutting techniques. This process requires a small fraction of the energy used to manufacture standard synthetic soles, generating roughly one-tenth of the $\text{CO}_2$ emissions.

• Functional Superiority: The innate tread pattern of road tyres gives our loafers weather resilience, exceptional grip, and extended wear, extending the product's life cycle far beyond conventional luxury footwear.

• Holistic Eco-Sourcing: Beyond the soles, the uppers are crafted using responsibly sourced European leathers from tanneries carrying top-tier environmental certifications, including Leather Working Group (LWG) Gold ratings.

Hugs & Co. Products on Display

The exhibition highlights three distinct Hugs & Co. models that illustrate how upcycled tyre rubber pairs with different textures, colours, and classic silhouettes.

Women's Penny Loafers in Gold Leather

A bold statement piece bridging formal luxury and utility. Featuring a radiant metallic gold leather upper sourced from environmentally audited tanneries, this pair demonstrates how high-shine fashion can sit atop a rugged, upcycled rubber tread without losing elegance. The flexibility of the gold leather paired with the firm grip of the tyre tread offers all-day comfort and long-lasting performance.

Women's Continental Espadrilles in Pink Suede

Combining the casual elegance of a Mediterranean summer silhouette with the durability needed for city streets. The soft, vibrant pink Italian suede provides a tactile contrast to the dark, treaded tyre sole anchored underneath. Traditional espadrilles often feature fragile jute bases that degrade quickly when wet; by integrating our upcycled tyre sole base, this pair delivers moisture protection and extended wearability.

Men's Continental Espadrilles in Navy Blue Suede

A refined staple in classic British footwear. Crafted in a deep navy blue suede, this model highlights how circular design can seamlessly integrate into a timeless men's wardrobe. The dark tone of the luxury suede complements the industrial origin of the recycled tread sole, proving that sustainable footwear can maintain a sharp, tailored profile.

By featuring these three models in Sweden, the Bon Orbit gallery illustrates how luxury footwear can actively divert industrial rubber waste from landfills while providing consumers with longer-lasting, beautifully finished British design.

Find out more about the the exhibition in the report and article published by James Burke in Smart SME Magazine.