CCILU, the Forefront of Sustainable Shoe Making
What do coffee grounds, ocean plastics, agricultural/aquacultural waste, and silicon slurries have in common? I asked that question to Wilson Hsu, the CEO and Founder of CCILU, a visionary in leading the fashion industry towards sustainability and development of the industrial standards to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions (as per the ESG/SDG guidelines advocated by the UN Gobal Compact).
As it turns out, coffee grounds, ocean plastics, agricultural/aquacultural waste, and silicon slurries represent the commitment, development, and innovation that constitute CCILU’s footwear products.
Founded in 2012, Wilson launched the brand CCILU in Japan with the goal of turning recycled materials into high-performance footwear and apparel. By focusing on cutting-edge technology, Wilson is able to utilize the above-mentioned materials to fulfill his goal. Over the years, the multiple product lines initiated by Wilson have been well received by consumers in more than 40 countries.
Wilson, a second generation of the traditional footwear industry, decided to take on a different path from his father. While averting the OEM route, he resorted to vision, innovation, and technology. That resulted in building a brand with a social/environmental consciousness backed by solid R&D research, efficient production, and effective marketing strategies.
Wilson’s relentless drive has allowed CCILU to prevail and receive more than 22 international awards such as Red Dot “Best of Best” Award, iF Design Gold Award, and A’Design Platinum Award. The European Forum “World Design Rankings” has listed CCILU as the World’s No. 1 Design Company in the footwear industry since 2018.
Charting a new frontier ten years ago, Wilson has encountered numerous twists and turns. Ultimately, it was Wilson’s perseverance that helped him build a brand attracting like-minded followers and loyal customers, primarily around mid 20’s. By engaging the public with his foresight and passion through direct communication, such as social media and live speeches, Wilson has further transformed himself into an advocate for environmental sustainability. He has inspired the public as well as business owners to participate in this social cause in helping to save our planet earth. Supporting beach clean-up activities, setting up recycling centers by paying three times the market rate to collectors, and turning used shoes into oil to help communities in remote areas for free electricity are some of the social-justice actions initiated by Wilson in Taiwan.
One of CCILU’s flagship products is the XpreSole® which launched the world’s first coffee shoe. According to Wilson, humans consume around one trillion cups of coffee every year. Just in Taiwan alone, people drink about 600 million take-out coffees every year, enough to circle the earth 1.35 times. 95% of the world’s coffee grounds are not properly recycled. When they touch the landfill, they could potentially emit massive amounts of methane and carbon dioxide. Recognizing the emissions of greenhouse gases caused by decomposing coffee grounds, CCILU’s team spent three years researching and developing proprietary technologies and materials to transform used coffee grounds into high-quality footwear. Through patent certification, the XpreSole® series replaces the use of petrochemicals used in the traditional shoe-making process. In addition, they use a bio-friendly manufacturing process – even the upper, sole, insole, and threads are free of animal products.
GreenPlax® footwear is CCILU’s answer to our polluted oceans by recycling bottles into shoes. One pair of GreenPlax® Renee sneakers upcycles 15 plastic bottles on average. CCILU’s research team spent five years on research and design in order to reduce the plastics, microplastics, and petroleum typically used by the traditional footwear industry.
Looking ahead, Wilson wants to take a steady step in perfecting his product lines and aiming to launch the world’s first carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative footwear later this year. His vision paves the way for the company’s operation to reach a carbon-neutral capacity by 2025.
CCILU’s website in the US and Europe: www.ccilu.com
CCILU’s website in Japan: www.ccilu.jp
CCILU’s website in Taiwan: https://www.lab-22.com.tw/