Reebok has unveiled its innovative Cotton + Corn program to promote sustainable sports footwear that is 75% organic, biodegradable.
The first result of the work was the NPC UK Cotton + Corn sneakers. The upper of the model is made from 100% cotton, the raw material for the sole is corn, the insoles are made from castor oil, and the sneakers are delivered in packaging from 100% recycled materials.
"Traditionally, sports shoes use petroleum, which is used to synthesize rubber, rubber and foam for the sole," says Bill McInnis, head of innovation at Reebok Future. - Given that about 20 billion pairs of shoes are produced annually in the world, it becomes clear how harmful this affects the environment. We thought: what if you can do without hydrocarbons and make sneakers from what grows from the earth?
After a series of tests with renewable natural resources, we have succeeded - we have released sneakers from natural ingredients that cannot be distinguished from ordinary ones. It is the only shoe on the market to be certified by the USDA as 75% biomaterial. And for Reebok, this is just the beginning."
The Cotton + Corn program partner is DuPont Tate & Lyle, which developed the Susterra propanediol biomaterial based on fodder corn. It is from it that the sole of the sneakers is made.
