A Stride in a New Direction|报纸做成鞋？环保又时尚！

by Rebecca A. Fratzke

Taking shoes to the next level through

eco-friendly designs

透过环保的设计理念，设计师让制鞋业更上一层楼

Shoes are something we all need and many of us love. Women have a particular fondness for shoes that has lasted decades and is still going strong. These days, the fashion world has introduced many new styles of shoes from comfortable and practical to beautiful and nearly dangerous. With everyone turning towards being more environmentally friendly, it should come as no surprise that the footwear industry is doing so, too. In Taiwan, Colin Lin is doing her part to lead the industry in a new direction. In 2008, Lin introduced a new line of shoes made out of recycled newspapers. Within its first year, Lin's footwear company sold over 4,000 pairs of shoes, and now she is marketing them around the world. Those who have purchased a pair have had to pay a good price for these shoes, which can cost between NT$3,000 and NT$5,000.

On average, it takes about three to four hours for a pair of Lin's paper shoes to be made. In order to make them durable and sturdy, a cotton lining is attached to the back of the newspaper strips. Then, a plastic coating gives them a shiny finish and a waterproof seal. Finally, the strips are woven, making for interesting designs as well as numerous style choices.

After 26 years in the shoemaking business, Lin is not worried about her competition following her example. In fact, she welcomes it and says that she can only make a small impact on environmental protection. However, if more companies turn towards eco-friendly materials, the impact will be much greater. Likewise, shoppers can do their part by making conscious decisions the next time they hit the shops.

1.  What is the main topic of the article?

(A) A new designer in the fashion world.

(B) New designs for shoe soles.

(C) A shoe industry takeover.

(D) Changes in shoemaking materials.

2.  Lin's shoe designs are not surprising because _____.

(A) similar designs have been around for ages

(B) the trend right now is for everything to become more eco-friendly

(C) she is an expert at crafting many objects with paper

(D) traditional Taiwanese shoes were made out of paper

3.  According to the article, what is NOT part of the paper shoemaking process?

(A) Lining the newspaper strips with cotton.

(B) Waterproofing the paper material.

(C) Polishing the hard finish.

(D) Weaving paper strips.

鞋子是大家都需要且让很多人爱不释手的东西。女生对鞋子特别钟爱，这种情形数十年如一日，且仍持续发烧。当今的时尚界不断推出许多新鞋款，不管是舒适实穿的、或是美丽而近乎危险的都有。而由于每个人都变得愈来愈环保，制鞋业随之跟进并不令人意外。在台湾，林小姐（Colin Lin）正尽一己之力将制鞋业导入新方向。2008 年，林小姐推出新的一系列由回收报纸制成的鞋。一年内，她的鞋店已售出超过 4 千双的鞋子，而现在她正将这些鞋子营销到世界各地。购买鞋子的人得付出不少的价钱，每双鞋从 3 千至 5 千元台币不等。

　　平均而言，林小姐制作一双报纸鞋大约需花 3 到 4 个小时。为了让鞋子坚固耐穿，报纸纸条的内面会加上棉心。然后再上一层塑料涂料（编按：林小姐烫压的塑料涂料为环保 PE 膜）让它们看起来闪闪发亮，并且形成防水膜。最后再将这些纸条编织成有趣的设计，以及各式可供选择的款式。

　　在制鞋业已有 26 年经验的林小姐并不担心她的对手会起而仿效。事实上，她乐见其成，还说她对环保只能有些微的影响。然而，如果愈来愈多公司都改用环保材质，那将影响甚巨。同样地，购物者在下次逛街买东西时，也能因其考虑过后的决定而对环保尽一份心力。

标准答案: 1. (D)2. (B)3. (C)

For Your Information

ALL BLACK 制鞋公司最独树一格的，除了利用经过特殊处理后的回收报纸制作成的编织平底鞋外，还有编织包。另外，他们在 2010年的早春新品特别突破以往制鞋的思维，首度与超现实主义艺术画家林英玉大师合作，将画作作品运用特殊技术转印制鞋皮面上，完全表现出现今人们的独特性，传统印象加入创新设计、冲突与矛盾的结合，正是 ALL BLACK 与林英玉大师合作所要传达的讯息，鞋结合艺术的概念，即创造出 Walking Art行动艺术系列鞋款，让艺术融入生活、让生活实践艺术。