Company develops sustainable footwear
Electra Business and Innovation Awards finalist profile:
How did the business start and grow to where it is today?
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The Orba “Ghost” casual sneaker was launched in September last year after five years of research and development on how to make a shoe by replacing commonly used synthetic and plastic components with highly renewable plant-based, biodegradable materials. We were a recipient of a Callahan Innovation R&D loan that enabled us to get our business started and are currently laying the groundwork for an EU / UK and USA launch early next year.
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Every year the global fashion industry produces around 25 billion shoes that use synthetics, with little regard for the sustainability of the materials sourced, the wellbeing of the people involved or how these products will impact the environment after disposal. We do things differently. Our task was to create a shoe made with biodegradable, plant-based materials — from our bespoke natural rubber bio-sole compound of rice-husk ash, beeswax and pine resin to our flax canvas and kenaf (hemp) and ramie (thistle) linings — even the eyelets are embroidered cotton.
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Since launch, Orba has been the recipient of a Global Footwear Award, a New Zealand Best Design Award and a Wellington Gold Award, all of which endorse the unique world-first approach to design and sustainability
What sets you apart from others in your field?
What was your reaction to being named as a finalist?
that Orba delivers. We were especially delighted to hear that we were finalists for the Electra Business & Innovation Awards and to be recognised by peers within the community that we work in.
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What do you like about operating your business in the Ka¯ piti community?
Businesses that incorporate sustainable practices are usually run by people who incorporate sustainable practices in their everyday lives and the people in our team fully supports the concept of a ‘liveable’ community where you can live, work and play. Our core team lives in Waikanae Beach, within walking distance to home offices, shared meeting spaces, cafes and restaurants.
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Orba consists of a small team of seasoned entrepreneurs that work independently — so in short, there’s a lot of self-discipline in the team. As a start-up, there is a lot of time spent researching the latest in sustainable
What does a general day at Orba Shoes involve?
materials innovations, basic networking within the industry and much time spent on giving a personal level of service to our New Zealand customers and evangelising our concepts to prospective customers around the world. We always make time for a weekly team video chat to catch up on what everyone has been up to and support the team, and there’s usually a beer at the Long Beach Cafe at the end of the work week.