Taiwan firm crafts stylish shoes from recycled paper

Girls never have enough shoes. Now, thanks to the innovation of a Taiwan designer, they can buy more shoes, and protect the environment at the same time.

These new designs hitting shops in Taiwan are made almost entirely out of recycled newspapers. It's not the obvious material choice for footwear, but the producers say they won't end up a soggy mess in the rain. Each strip of newsprint goes through a process making it durable and sturdy by attaching a cotton lining to it.

A plastic coating is added to provide a shiny, waterproof finish. According to designer Colin Lin, newspaper shoes are hot property in Taiwan, the U.S. as well as Europe. Since their launch late last year, her firm has sold about 4,000 pairs.

In this photo taken Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009, Taiwanese fashion  designer Colin Lin displaying shoes made out of recycled newspapers. Lin's environmentally friendly footwear company produces shoes and tote bags for green-minded consumers around the world. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)