English Retreads is in the process of completing it’s new line of more finished looking lined items. Initially I created a line that was more industrial and somewhat unfinished looking to go with the look of the rubber and rivets. Now I’m designing a more clean and finished look by lining the bags with PET material, using zippers, magnetic snaps and binding on the top edges of the bags.

The materials used for our products are reused inner tubes rescued directly from landfills and PET material made out of recycled plastic bottles. Our target audience is the conscientious fashionista so prevalent in today’s shops. I got the idea for English Retreads when I was floating down Boulder Creek on an inner tube. I needed a new handbag but I was a hardcore vegetarian. I wanted something that was fashionable and invincible—but not made from leather. I didn’t find what I was looking for so I went to McGuckin's, [a favorite local hardware store] bought some tools and started my own personal sweatshop—with me doing the sweating. After friends started asking for a bag just like mine, I knew I was on to something and English Retreads hit the road in 2001.

English Retreads are 100% vegan, extremely durable and highly fashionable. You can use Armor All to make your English Retreads bag shine like new.  We were very excited to finally find a high quality recycled PET material to line our bags with. We made the prototypes with the sample fabric we received and took them to some tradeshows. The response was overwhelming. We ended up receiving the material a month late and had to ship partial orders until we got the rest of the fabric and were able to make the products. We learned a big lesson. From now on we only show new products after they are already in stock.

English Retreads was founded on socially and environmentally conscious ideals. I feel that I have accomplished my goal of feeling good about what I do as well as much more, including providing a flexible and fun workplace for many amazing people who have helped this business become what it is. English Retreads is where the rubber meets the road!