For my most recent MA project of creating fully bio-degradable, highly desireable shoes, I interviewed Christiaan Maats, Founder and Owner of OΔ+ and found his appraoch and replies so inspiring that I decided to publish them here.
I came up with the concept in 2008 during my graduation project for my Industrial Design master. I had researched ‘Storytelling through Product Design’ in Sydney, Australia and I wanted to tell my own story with a product. I developed the story of OAT Shoes to reunite people with the cycles of nature: in everything that ends lie the seeds of new beginnings. Whether those are flowers, a new product or even a new idea. 
1. Please tell me more about how Oat Shoes came to life: what was the
initial idea behind it and how was the journey to becoming a real
product with a team of people?
Sustainable shoes were sparse back then, often very ugly and based on recycling, making them cumbersome to get rid of: once you've worn out your shoes, you have to find a box and an address to send them to and then ship them off, without really knowing or seeing what happens to the shoes. To me it seemed too much trouble and too little fun. I thought: I want shoes that look good and I want to be able to just throw them out in the organic waste bin. Or better yet: I want to be able to bury them and have flowers grow out. Then they're really part of nature and you become part of nature's cycle.
We went through several design stages, learning to use the materials, exploring production methods, finding people who could make the shoe and believed in the concept, talking to experts in various fields. We've explored and learned so many things on so many levels, telling the whole story would take a book!
2. What motivated you to make a pair of sustainable shoes? And why did
you choose bio-degradability (as opposed to other sustainable values)?
3. Why specifically sneakers; what influenced your design?
Are you consdiering expanding your range to producing more
fashion-driven shoes? Or bags?
To introduce the concept of OAT Shoes, I wanted to offer a complete collection of sneakers based on classic models: a high-top, a chukka, a tennis classic and what became a casual weaver/boat shoe cross-over. The clear-cut, clean designs contrast geometric lines with the organic qualities of the materials, which give the sneakers their unique look and feel. I designed the Virgin Collection to be a presentation of the shoes in their purest, most basic form, using only white and natural hemp shades for the upper complemented by the colorful soles that symbolize the four elements. It is the point of departure for future creations, a blank canvas that invites people to wonder about other possibilities and future incarnations of the concept.
The new Autumn collection has a more minimalistic look and features deep-toned autumn colors. It's a more sophisticated style, so we are definitely evolving the style and looking at new possibilities. We've also developed a new bag: a leather shopper based on the classic plastic bag and we've got a bunch of products on the list to be developed.
4. What about finding fully bio-degradable materials and joining
techniques - how much of a challenge was it?
5. Can you talk about the technical aspects of materials and joining?
Or is it a secret? (If it is, don't you believe this knowledge is
better off shared to create a more sustainable world for everyone e.g.
Nike's Green xChange?)
6. What was the reaction of people when you were developing you shoes
(sceptical or interested?)?
When we were developing the shoes, people from the industry always reacted with disbelief: 'it can't be done' was the general reaction. It feels quite good to prove them wrong!
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