Water brand turns old couches into custom running shoes

Vittel Couch Converter transforms customer's old sofas into custom made running shoes to encourage an active, healthy lifestyle.

We’ve seen countless initiatives designed to encourage exercise — through either rewards or punishments — and now French bottled water brand Vittel is getting in on the act as well. The Vittel Couch Converter service is a marketing campaign aimed at curbing the amount of time Europeans spend lazing around on their couches — by transforming customers’ old sofas into pairs of personalized running shoes.

To begin, customers upload a photo of their sofa to Vittel’s website and send in a cut of the fabric. A team of designers and shoemakers then use the fabric to create a pair of unique sneakers, based on a custom design created for the project. Shoes are sent out within a few weeks and many previous creations can be browsed on Vittel’s site.

You can learn more about the project in the video below:

What other fabrics in the home could be upcycled in this way?