It all arose from a viral video on TikTok, in which a woman in the United States showed cow Vans destroyed dozens of sneakers in front of one of its stores.
“Not only do they throw away new sneakers, but they cut them up so that people in need can’t wear them? Vans, I will not return to your store anytime soon,” he said. Sophia Schiaroli in her short video account.
However, the company had a very good reason for doing what he did. A very, very disgusting one.
After the video went viral, exceeding 2.4 million views, 385 thousand likes and 22 thousand comments, a Vans spokesperson explained What was the reason for the store in Philadelphia to destroy its sneakers.
According to Complex Sneakers, the reason why Vans destroyed sports shoes It’s just… they had mold. Fungus had grown on them.
“The products were deemed unsafe to donate due to organic growth caused by external and environmental factors,” a Vans spokesperson said in a statement. a statement provided to Complex Sneakers.
Mold is a microscopic organism that lives in animal or plant matter, helping in the decomposition of dead matter.
It grows and multiplies when it exists some concentrated moisture that mixes with organic matter.
So, most likely, the shoes from the Philadelphia store have been moist for a long time, causing fungi to appear.
Obviously, what Vans did was the most appropriate. Can you imagine what would have happened if they gave away moldy sneakers?
In any case, the sneaker company explained: “Vans will always prioritize donating usable products to those in need. “After investigating the situation at our Walnut St. location, we have confirmed that it was deemed unsafe to donate these products.”
“That said, we are actively reviewing our retail protocols to ensure that products are properly recycled,” The North American company closed.