Introduction
In the heart of Rotterdam, Lorenzo van Galen isn’t just cleaning up sneakers – he’s cleaning up fashion. What began as a side hustle with a social twist, has grown into a multi-pronged circular ecosystem aimed at tackling one of the industry’s toughest challenges: how to make sustainability scalable, profitable, and human.
At the centre of this effort is WEAR, a recommerce platform selling refurbished sneakers; RE the Agency, helping brands rethink the lifecycle of their products; and Reflawn, a media arm spotlighting innovation in sustainable footwear. Together, they form a blueprint for what fashion’s circular future might look like – if the infrastructure can catch up.
From Apple to Soles with Purpose
Lorenzo’s journey into circular entrepreneurship didn’t begin with sneakers, but with spreadsheets. After studying Media and Entertainment Management, Lorenzo landed a role at Apple during what he describes as the brand’s “heydays.” But merchandising and account management didn’t fulfill him. So, in 2014, he struck out on his own as a freelance photographer, eventually growing his work into a broader marketing and creative consultancy.
It was through this path that he met his future business partner, Pim Roggeveen. The duo began collaborating on purpose-driven campaigns like the Netherlands’ Social Impact Days, realising they shared a desire to channel their skills into something more lasting.
We were adding value, but it wasn’t being sustained. We wanted to build something of our own – something fun but impactful.
The Spark Behind WEAR
That something became WEAR: a sneaker cleaning concept born in 2020 out of equal parts love for footwear and frustration. After trying (unsuccessfully) to get their own sneakers cleaned at a top sneaker store in Rotterdam, Lorenzo and Pim saw an opening. “One plus one is two,” he recalls.
WEAR started with a simple model: clean and restore sneakers while providing jobs to people distanced from the labour force. The concept evolved rapidly. By early 2021, they were running a pop-up shop in central Rotterdam, leasing a space for just €100 a month thanks to pandemic vacancies. Four days a week, they cleaned shoes while gathering invaluable customer feedback. And that feedback, combined with a fortuitous discovery, would shape the company’s next phase.

Refurbish, Resell, Repeat
While visiting a textile-sorting facility that processes second-hand donations, Lorenzo stumbled upon piles of discarded sneakers.
We were already cleaning shoes. Why not buy them in bulk, refurbish them, and resell them?
That idea catalysed a pivot from service-based cleaning to recommerce. In 2022, and with a €100,000 subsidy from the City of Rotterdam, WEAR opened a flagship store in the city’s busiest shopping district. Positioned beneath a major department store, it offered consumers the choice to buy refurbished sneakers, overstock pairs, or have their own cleaned.
While revenue was strong, the business model proved difficult to sustain. Operating seven days a week in a high-footfall, high-rent retail space took a toll. By 2023, Lorenzo made the call to shift to an online model, which processed over 20,000 kilograms of sneakers in a single year. But second-hand sourcing costs were rising, and the team faced a hard truth: margins were tightening.
Recommerce, Reimagined
That pressure prompted another pivot – this time toward a model Lorenzo believes is the future: enabling brands to manage their own recommerce. In this setup, WEAR doesn’t just sell refurbished sneakers; it helps brands refurbish and resell under their own banners, backed by storytelling and customer insight.
We always wanted to work with brands like Nike and adidas. We did some storytelling activations at Nike’s European HQ, but never cracked the product resale side. Nike ended their refurbish program in 2023, and adidas never truly launched one.
Now, WEAR is developing a new webshop offering curated drops in collaboration with select brands. These will pair refurbished products with compelling narratives, data-backed targeting, and competitive pricing – a more attractive package for brand partners.

More Than a Store: An Ecosystem
WEAR is only one piece of a growing puzzle. Lorenzo and his team have launched two sister initiatives:
Reflawn is a media and affiliate platform spotlighting innovation in sustainable footwear. Built with Sneakerjagers and The Drop Date, it acts as a search engine and editorial hub for forward-thinking design, reaching new audiences through curated content and campaigns.
RE the Agency helps brands architect circularity. From developing rental and repair models to handling logistics and storytelling, the agency brings together creative and operational expertise. Clients range from early-stage start-ups to global players like Decathlon, which recently set a target of €1 billion in circular revenue.
What ties them together? Infrastructure.
We realised the problem wasn’t just supply or demand. It was systems. Brands want to offer refurbished products, but they need help with everything from logistics to marketing.
Bringing People In: The Community Element
Through events like Bring it Back, Lorenzo is also helping build a culture around circularity. Powered by the Rotterdam municipality, the event series creates space for discussion, learning, and experimentation. One recent workshop invited participants to deconstruct old sneakers and turn them into artwork – making the environmental message tangible and personal.
These events aren’t just about sneakers, they’re about rethinking value, labour, and ownership.

Europe’s Untapped Potential
Lorenzo believes Europe has yet to unlock the full potential of recommerce, citing regulatory and logistical fragmentation as key barriers.
In the U.S., you have a single language, legal system, and market of 300 million people. In Europe, you have 27 countries with different rules and languages. It’s much harder to scale.
Companies like Trove are already proving that recommerce doesn’t cannibalise new sales – in fact, 80–90% of second-hand customers are new to the brand. Lorenzo is confident the model can work in Europe, too, but it needs support.
The Hidden Challenges: Tax and Labour
One of the most frustrating obstacles, Lorenzo argues, is taxation. In the Netherlands, second-hand goods are taxed at the same 21% VAT rate as new ones – and refurbished items are often taxed multiple times.
It’s the same sneaker, being taxed again and again. Meanwhile, we’re creating jobs and reducing waste. That should be rewarded, not penalized.
Labour is another issue. “Circularity needs hands,” Lorenzo says plainly. But labour in Europe is expensive, and without financial instruments or incentives, many circular businesses struggle to stay afloat.

The Starting Point: Design
When asked what advice he has for brands, Lorenzo doesn’t hesitate: “Circularity starts with design.“
Most products are created for a single use. Rethinking design – whether through modular construction, better materials, or take-back potential – is key to enabling circular models down the line. He also urges brands to view recommerce as a viable entry point for new customers, not a threat to new sales.
We’re not talking about theory here. We’ve seen it. We’ve built it. It works.
Final Word: Turning Grit into Systems Change
Lorenzo’s story isn’t one of flashy disruption or overnight success. It’s a story of small steps, pivots, experiments, and grit – exactly what circularity demands.
From cleaning sneakers in a pop-up to helping global brands reshape their resale infrastructure, his work offers a glimpse of what’s possible when sustainability is built into the business model, not just tacked on.
Impact and entrepreneurship aren’t opposites. They just take work to balance. But if we get the systems right – logistics, design, tax, labour – we can absolutely make it work.
Every system we rely on was once built from scratch. If fashion is to be truly circular, it won’t come from slogans or gimmicks, but from people like Lorenzo, building it one sneaker, one story, and one system at a time.
