Once hand-harvested, the fungus must be dried for about a year. Only then can the tinder sponges be worked into a material exhibiting most of the properties of actual leather. The sneakers are hand-made by a small, family-owned business in Italy and it takes about two whole years from the picking of the fungi to the completion of a set. As one might expect, it’s a very costly process and that’s reflected in the sale price: €599.00 or about $700 per pair!
The initial small run of the fungi footwear has already sold out, and acceptance by the market has encouraged Thies to continue down this unexpected trail. “We are about to have some more tinder harvested to produce another limited run,” he states, and when it comes to sneakers, even a limited run is a good run.

