The team from global fitness brand Reebok developed a “Cotton + Corn” sustainable products initiative to create plant-based footwear.

Reebok plans to bring to market shoes “made from things that grow” later in 2017.

According to Reebok, the upper of the shoe will be made from organic cotton, a sole of the shoe – from Susterra® propanediol, 100% USDA certified bio-based product delivered from field corn. This material was created by a leading manufacturer of high-performance bio-based solutions DuPont Tate & Lyle.

“With Cotton + Corn we’re focused on all three phases of the product lifecycle. First, with product development we’re using materials that grow and can be replenished, rather than the petroleum-based materials commonly used today. Second, when the product hits the market we know our consumers don’t want to sacrifice on how sneakers look and perform. Finally, we care about what happens to the shoes when people are done with them. So we’ve focused on plant-based materials such as corn and cotton at the beginning, and compostability in the end,” said Bill McInnis.

According to Bill McInnis, Reebok’s ultimate goal is to create a wide selection of bio-based footwear that can be composted after use. This compost will then be used as part of the soil to grow the materials for the next range of shoes.

“Reebok’s philosophy is to ‘Be More Human,’ and sustainability is a core part of that belief. As human beings, we have a responsibility to leave this planet as we found it for future generations. Unfortunately, the fact is most shoes just end up in landfills, which is something we are trying to change. As a brand, we will be focusing on sustainability with the Cotton + Corn program as well as other initiatives we have in the works,” says Reebok President Matt O’Toole.

By taking the entire cycle into account, Reebok is able to not only create more innovative products, but also innovate the processes by which it makes its products.

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by Natalie Myhalnytska

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