An Indonesian entrepreneur is making leather shoes out of leftover chicken feet

Emily B. HagerMay 22, 2020, 02:24 IST

An Indonesian entrepreneur is turning chicken feet and scraps into leather to make shoes.
He markets his shoes as alternatives to ones made from reptile skin, which have long been controversial in the fashion industry.
The owner says his products avoid the controversy entirely, since the scraps are from dim sum and fast food restaurants.

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These shoes are made from chicken feet.

Reuters

They're the brainchild of Nurman Farieka Ramdhany, who produces the shoes out of his business in Indonesia.

Reuters

He wanted to provide an alternative to exotic animal leather, such as skin from snakes and crocodiles, which are frequent targets of animal rights activists.

Reuters

Through his company, Hirka, Nurman employs six people who make the shoes by hand.

Reuters

The chicken feet Hirka uses are leftovers from local restaurants.

Reuters

"The waste is a lot. That is why we try to process it to get more value from it," Ramdhany said.

Reuters

The process begins by dyeing the skins …

Reuters

… and then sewing and hammering the pieces together.

Reuters

"You can feel the luxuriousness of this material," Ramdhany said.

Reuters

The process takes about 10 days and uses up to 45 chicken feet, depending on the style.

Reuters

One customer told Reuters, "we always think of chicken feet being used to make food or chips, but this is used as material for shoes. It is curious, interesting, and unique, too."

Reuters

One customer told Reuters, "we always think of chicken feet being used to make food or chips, but this is used as material for shoes. It is curious, interesting, and unique, too."

Ramdhany hopes customers will see his company's value, which comes both from craftsmanship and from reducing pressure on exotic reptile species.

Reuters

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An Indonesian entrepreneur is making leather shoes out of leftover chicken feet

These shoes are made from chicken feet.

They're the brainchild of Nurman Farieka Ramdhany, who produces the shoes out of his business in Indonesia.

He wanted to provide an alternative to exotic animal leather, such as skin from snakes and crocodiles, which are frequent targets of animal rights activists.

Through his company, Hirka, Nurman employs six people who make the shoes by hand.

The chicken feet Hirka uses are leftovers from local restaurants.

"The waste is a lot. That is why we try to process it to get more value from it," Ramdhany said.

The process begins by dyeing the skins …

… and then sewing and hammering the pieces together.

"You can feel the luxuriousness of this material," Ramdhany said.

The process takes about 10 days and uses up to 45 chicken feet, depending on the style.

One customer told Reuters, "we always think of chicken feet being used to make food or chips, but this is used as material for shoes. It is curious, interesting, and unique, too."

Ramdhany hopes customers will see his company's value, which comes both from craftsmanship and from reducing pressure on exotic reptile species.