Dubai school becomes first in the world to add Thaely vegan shoes to its uniform

Entirely sustainable, the footwear is made from recycled plastic bags and bottles

Swiss International Scientific School Dubai is the first in the world to adopt the Thaely shoe as part of its uniform. Photo: Thaely

A Dubai school has cemented its commitment to sustainability by adding recycled, vegan shoes by Thaely to its mandatory school uniform.

The Swiss International Scientific School in Al Jaddaf, the largest outside Switzerland, is the first in the world to incorporate the sustainable Y2K Pro trainer into its official uniform.

Each Thaely trainer repurposes 10 plastic bags and 12 plastic bottles. Photo: Thaely

Ruth Burke, the school's headteacher and chief executive, said: “It’s fantastic to find a cool, local brand — created by a young student — which is sustainable and which our pupils really like.

"We encourage our pupils to think out of the box and Thaely shows what’s possible when you really put your mind to something. We want our pupils to feel comfortable, and to look smart, but also, hope that every time they look at their feet, they are reminded of our collective, global responsibility to act sustainably, and the power of pursuing your dreams.”

Scroll through the gallery below to see the regional brands leading the way in sustainability

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  Hailing from Saudi Arabia, Abadia is committed to preserving heritage techniques through fashion. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Abadia also uses deadstock fabrics, organic cotton and recycled polyester in its creations. Photo: Mazen Abusrour

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  A look by Abadia. Photo: Abadia

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  All Abadia pieces are made in Lebanon, helping to support the industry in the country and offer workers a living wage. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  A look by Reemami. Photo Reemani

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  Designs by Reemami are presented during a fashion show at the Lebanon Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Ruel Pableo for The National

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  Reema Al Banna launched her womenswear brand Reemami in the UAE with a commitment to reducing the waste, water and chemicals used in the fashion industry. Ruel Pableo for The National

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  All of the Giving Movement’s pieces are made in the UAE by workers who receive a living wage and have a two-day weekend. Photo: The Giving Movement

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  Dh15 of every purchase from The Giving Movement goes to charity. Photo: The Giving Movement

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  Creations by The Giving Movement. Photo: The Giving Movement

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  The Giving Movement has recently expanded to offer children’s clothes and a modest line. Photo: The Giving Movement

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  Glossy Lounge is a home-grown loungewear and shapewear brand. Photo: Glossy Lounge

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  Glossy Lounge has announced a partnership with Emirates Nature, part of the Worldwide Wildlife Fund, to donate money from every purchase to help restore UAE mangroves. Photo: Glossy Lounge

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  A look from Wild Fabrik. Photo: Wild Fabrik

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  Wild Fabrik is an e-commerce platform for sustainable fashion and homeware. Photo: Wild Fabrik

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  Tribe of 6 takes its name from the six degrees of separation thought to link everyone together. Photo: Tribe of 6

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  Founded by the Kuwaiti Alshaya Group, Tribe of 6 aims to be inclusive, with sizes ranging from XS to XXXL. Photo: Tribe of 6

Thaely was launched in July 2021 by Dubai student and entrepreneur Ashay Bhave, and is named after the Hindi word for plastic bags. Wanting to create a shoe using only recycled plastic, Bhave won the Amity University Dubai Eureka start-up competition with his prototype in 2019, and he released the first commercial version two years later.

The shoe takes its visual cues from early 2000s basketball trainers and is certified vegan.

Thaely vegan, ethical and sustainable trainers. Photo: Thaely

"The Thaely Y2K Pro is a revolution in the footwear industry, and the Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai is the first school in the world to offer Thaely sneakers as a part of its uniform," Bhave said.

“Each sneaker uses recycled components made from 10 waste plastic bags, 12 waste plastic bottles and industrial rubber waste. All components, including the glue, are Peta-certified vegan.”

Alarmed by the sheer scale of plastic waste, Bhave set out to help repurpose some of the 100 billion plastic bags made every year. Although 12 million barrels are used manufacturing the bags, each one is used — on average — for just twelve minutes before being discarded. Left to litter the landscape, each one takes up to 1,000 years to decompose, and an estimated 100,000 marine animals per year are harmed by plastic each year.

In addition to the environmental credentials, each pair of shoes is sold in a box made from recycled paper dyed with coffee grounds and embedded with basil seeds for replanting. The shoes also come in a shopping tote made from four plastic bottles. Since launching, Thaely has diverted 48,000 bottles and 40,000 plastic bags from landfill.

Burke said: “We are setting the bar with this exciting sustainable addition to our school uniform. These special sneakers are now available with a special exclusive discount code for pupils and parents, and we look forward to seeing some of our 1800 pupils all looking great in their new Thaelys.”