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The warty and toxic cane toad may be the most reviled animal in Australia, but a charity has devised a way to make good use of the invasive pests -- fashioning them into sneakers fit for a prince.Efforts to eradicate the repulsive hopper, a prolific breeder which has spread widely in the country's tropical reaches since being introduced to kill beetles in the 1930s, have included killing them with golf clubs and driving over them.But Rupert Noffs hopes the shoes he and his brother Matt have devised will be a kinder way of depleting the numbers of the incredibly tough amphibian which secretes a poison which can kill pets and wildlife and injure humans.He says that people who have seen the sneakers -- which combine kangaroo leather with a cane toad detail -- are taken aback at how a loathsome creature can be converted into a fashion statement.
We're no stranger here at Sneaker Freaker to flossin' the world's fiercest fauna on our feet. From Jaws to Skippy, we've worn the lot... or so we'd thought. Gideon Shoes are a new brand on the block that are using rich cow hide, buttery roo and, in a world first, crispy cane toad skin to create a line of lux fashion sneakers with a twist. In the wild these guys may not be pretty, but on a shoe cane toad comes across quite elegantly... kind of like a mini croc skin. Gideon's simple silhouettes let their premium materials do all the talking, while the handmade construction, pouron insole and microsuede lining ensure a comfortable ride. If you're looking get your paws on something a little unique then check out the Gideon website for more animal crackers.
Sneakers crafted from Cane Toads is such a perfect companion story to our piece on footballs made from feral camels. Cane toads are an introduced pest in Australia that are so toxic they kill the native wildlife that attempt to eat them. (see links below) Now Gideon Shoes, have set up a hand-crafted, anti-sweatshop business to make shoes with the tanned hides of these formidable amphibians. The profits of which will go to supporting youth-at-risk charity work. But there is a twist.
Seems that no tannery in Australia works with the cane toad leather, so Gideon Shoes have to buy their leather from Indonesian tanneries, which kind of defeats the purpose of using a dreaded Australian feral pest. But the Ted Noffs Foundation, the charity behind Gideon Shoes and the The Street University - a retreat for marginalised kids in Sydney, used this anomaly to generate a good deal of media coverage just before Christmas.
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