Saman, an eco-friendly and very Colombian project in Paris

Author: Saman  

Paris, November 2020.

Parisian fashion strikes at first sight, not only the haute couture that adorns the stars of the city's most central districts, but also urban fashion accessible to ordinary society.

Former industrial districts in Paris are now emerging as new hubs of creativity, youth, and an exciting dynamic for innovation. The 11th arrondissement stands out for its energy and the ecological responsibility of its shops and bars. It was precisely in this neighborhood that we began our story in Paris and found inspiration in the streets to create a product that conveys all the energy of Paris and Colombian vibrancy.

After 23 years living and traveling through Colombia, Juan David decided to study in Europe, where he discovered the abysmal difference in quality of life between European and Latin American citizens. Even people with fewer economic resources can access an apartment with minimal comfort conditions, something unthinkable in Colombia.

This impact sowed a seed in our ideas for 3 years. We decided to look for a project that could boost the local Colombian industry and improve the quality of life for farmers and urban dwellers.

Displaced indigenous people, disappearances, lack of education, violence, and everything that darkens the beauty of our landscapes is an open wound that we want to help heal by joining common projects.

Walking through the streets of Paris, seeing its art galleries, markets, and organic shops, Haussmannian buildings, the baroque decoration of churches, and listening to the sirens that accompany the city's rhythm. All this, in combination with the terraces of Parisian cafes and the relaxed style of its youth, allowed us to discover a culture of eco-responsible sneakers that was growing in Europe. 

Brands like SAYE, FLAMINGO, ZETA, VEJA, COMOVITA, among others, are brands created in Central Europe. Barcelona, Paris, and Rome are the centers for the creation of these sustainable concepts, where a product is designed and then produced, in most cases, in Portugal from recycled, organic, or vegan materials.

These brands are merely a reflection of the environmental awareness of European youth and governmental support for eco-sustainable initiatives. For us, this was like a revelation.

Awakening the environmental consciousness of young Colombians through a product as emblematic as sneakers, and producing them by Colombian hands, based on vegan and organic materials grown in Colombia, is a unique opportunity to unite projects that we could not afford to waste.

We decided to unite projects. We contacted a genius in Antioquia who decided to patent leather production from fique leaves, some experts in Bogotá who recycle tire rubber for reuse, a very experienced team in Cali that uses regenerated cotton to make laces, and even a master in producing boxes from sugarcane bagasse.

We contacted a very Colombian manufacturing team that puts all its love into the final product. This team provides employment to young people from troubled neighborhoods in eastern Cali and offers single mothers the opportunity to return to work.

We just needed a name...

We are music lovers, and our Franco-Colombian roots could not be denied, coming from the country with the most musical rhythms in the world. Bambuco, joropo, currulao, and vallenato are so diverse that they cannot be framed in a single concept. But in the Baroque era, a concept was born that encompassed many musical forms: the sonata, the union of sweet notes that accompany the rhythm of the heart, increasing pressure and awakening the senses.

This is the story of Saman...

Sonatta is Saman's first design, inspired by the fashion and culture of Paris's 11th arrondissement. The artistic dynamic and youthful energy make these sneakers an experience rather than just a product.  

Paris is a metropolis full of cultural richness that reached every corner of the Saman designers, a richness that today is expressed in the comfort and good taste of classic sneakers.

But the story of the first Saman model doesn't end there. Young people like you and us participated in its refinement during several sessions. We innovated with a public creative process to ensure that you will love our designs. Created by you, for you.

The «S»

A touch of minimalism and neatness highlights the letter S on the side of the shoe. The S represents the perfection of life. Unlike the circle and infinity, symbols representing natural cycles, the S represents the zigzagging of our decisions, changes, and our capacity as humanity to adapt. 

Features:

- Made in Colombia

- Sustainable

- Responsible

The spirit of SAMAN is to drastically reduce environmental impact, boost local industry, and ensure human rights are respected, replacing traditional sneakers produced from polluting materials with a responsible, sustainable, and ethically handmade product in Colombia.

We unite spectacular projects:

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MATERIALS

Fique-based vegan leather

We use vegetable leather created from fique. We do not use materials derived from animals.

Fashion is the second most polluting activity in the world . Inks and polyesters are used to reduce costs and replace leather, but these are highly polluting processes.

Colombia is the main producer of fique in the world, but only 4% of the plant is utilized. The long fibers of the plant are typically used to produce coffee sacks. Vegan leather is made from short fibers.

Environmental impact reduction:

• A cow produces 8625 kg of CO2 per year.
• The fique plant has the opposite effect. It absorbs 7.5 kg of CO2 per year and converts it into oxygen.
• Unlike cotton, the fourth most water-intensive crop, fique requires so little that it can be sustained by natural irrigation.
• One ton of fique requires 90% less energy than one ton of polyester or polypropylene.

This is an innovation patented by a Colombian, and its production will take place in Itagüí.

Furthermore, the crops are usually located in areas of the country where hectares of illicit crops are replaced.

Natural and reused rubber from discarded tires

The east of Colombia is one of the most important sources of natural rubber in Latin America. In departments like Meta, Vichada, and Santander, high-quality natural rubber is produced, replacing highly polluting materials such as Expanded PVC, one of the most commonly used materials in footwear today.

On the other hand, one of the 10 largest environmental problems in the world is the disposal of solid waste like tires. They are often burned or discarded in the streets. This, of course, generates social problems like mosquito-borne diseases (yellow fever, dengue) and environmental problems like high levels of air pollution.

Very soon, in our black models, we will use reused rubber from recycled tires to create our soles.

 Environmental impact reduction:

• 90 million cars are sold annually worldwide
• And with them, 360 million tires, not counting spares.
• A tire takes 500 years to degrade.
• Only 20% of tires are recycled in Latin America.
• Reduction of polluting gases from incineration.

Laces made from regenerated cotton

SAMAN sneakers come with an alternative to conventional cotton. Cotton is recycled by classifying materials by color. Then, the fabric is shredded until raw fiber is obtained. Finally, it is spun again to be reused in new garments.

This is an environmentally friendly recycling process since no new cotton is used.

Environmental impact reduction:

• Water saving in production.
• Reduction of CO2 emissions.
• Decrease in monoculture and fertilizers.

Furthermore, the laces are produced in Comuna 22 of Cali. We support local industry to reduce CO2 emissions from transportation.

And since every detail is important...

Cardboard made from sugarcane bagasse

Your first contact with your SAMAN sneakers will be with a natural material, chemical-free, and above all, waste-based.

Our box is made 100% from sugarcane fibers extracted from bagasse, the leftover material from this industry.

• Biodegradable
• Renewable in short periods
• No chemical bleaching

And what's more, our boxes are made by people from Cali who run a very traditional and responsible company with their workers in the San Nicolás neighborhood.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thank you for believing in Colombian industry  and for reducing your environmental impact. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------