Original Fibres x Collective Canvas
For our first ever shoe, we wanted something with the same spirit as our clothes. Natural materials, clean lines, and a sense of longevity. The sort of thing that feels easy on day one, and better still after a few months of proper wear.
Which is why we were so excited to come across Collective Canvas.
They tap into the classic vulcanised shoe aesthetic while adhering to the same principles that guide our brand: simplicity, transparency, carefully considered supply chains, and a belief that low-impact products should still be desirable, useful and well made.
At Original Fibres, fabric has always been the starting point. Linen, wool, cotton, silk - natural fibres chosen not just for how they look, but for how they behave over time. We are interested in clothes that wear in, not out.
The same thinking applies in this collaboration.
The Collective Canvas x OF Gym Shoe takes the familiar shape of a Japanese-style gym trainer and reworks it through the lens of natural materials. The upper is made from organic hemp canvas. The foxing, outsole and toe cap are made using natural latex gum rubber. Inside, a cork-covered Ortholite Eco® insole gives the shoe the comfort it needs for daily wear without losing the simplicity of the design.
We like hemp for the same reason we like linen: it has texture, character and a certain honesty to it. It does not need much embellishment. It is quietly irregular in just the right way. On a shoe, it gives the gym trainer a slightly different mood. Still familiar, but more grounded.
We didn’t want to make a statement shoe. We wanted to make a shoe that earns its place.
Something to wear with a Heavy Linen Railway Jacket and drawstring trousers. With jeans and an Oxford shirt. With shorts in summer, wool socks in winter, and everything in between. A shoe for people who enjoy clothes, but don’t want to look like they have tried too hard. That is where the collaboration really sits for us. It just made sense. And that is usually a good sign.
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