OCEAN - A PURPOSE
As the son of a fisherman grown up in La Rochelle, Eugène Riconneaus has always had a close relationship with the ocean. His time in his hometown, during the lockdown, reinforced his awareness of the wave of litter in the ocean and its resurfacing on the beaches. This led him to wonder if a new use could not be found for this abundant resource. Eugène saw value and potential beauty in what would otherwise be seen as waste. He focused on fishing nets, seaweed and seafood waste and decided to bring art, beauty and fashion to life from them.
WE CREATED OUR OWN MATERIALS
Eugène reimagined the potential of these elements. Turning his studio into a
lab, he shifted his research from colours to materials. Finally, he created the first sneakers made of 78,5% recycled elements, also using sleepstock leather and cork. It was the foundation of ER Soulier: a brand with a purpose.
“Sea based activities represent 50% of the ocean pollution. I see this material as ready-made to give an opportunity to others and drive actions for the ocean. We are creating a demand that appreciates and cherishes marine litter products: from fishnets and plastics to oyster farms’ waste and algae” explains Eugène.
ART
And thus, the beauty of these shoes lies not only in their design, but in the materials from which they are skilfully crafted. A unique feature that, unlike the design, is almost invisible, consistently with Eugène’s statement: “The creativity of tomorrow is about what isn’t visible.”
Eugène's artistic vein flows powerfully in his new creations and, in the same way, his passion for the ocean has deeply influenced his career as an artist, leading him to create artworks made of marine litter: imagine getting the right to reproduce a Rodin sculpture replacing bronze with ocean plastic – Generations over generations will cherish the material.
UPDATES, NOT SEASONS
By using these materials ER Soulier is not only reducing our environmental impact, but also contributing to the reduction of ocean pollution.
ER Soulier’s mission doesn’t stop here. With the goal of slowing down the fashion cycle, ER Soulier will only release new updates, not seasons. New collections for ER Soulier mean new innovations for the brand and the environment. All designed to be “A reflection of a community, the eternal youth, my skateboarding crew” Eugène is combining a stylish design with functionality: each shoe offers excellent grip, breathability and comfort.
