In Massachusetts, global fitness brand Reebok launched the first product from its highly-anticipated “Cotton + Corn” sustainable products initiative, a sneaker that is constructed from an upper made of 100% cotton and a corn-based sole. The shoe has insoles that are derived from castor bean oil and comes in packaging that is 100% recycled.
“Most athletic footwear is made using petroleum to create synthetic rubber and foam cushioning systems,” said Bill McInnis, Head of Reebok Future in the press release. “With 20 billion pairs of shoes made every year, this is not a sustainable way of making footwear. The NPC UK Cotton + Corn is the only footwear product on the market that has been certified as containing 75% USDA certified biobased content.”
For the Cotton + Corn initiative, Reebok partnered with DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, a manufacturer of biobased solutions. DuPont Tate & Lyle developed Susterra propanediol, a pure, petroleum-free, non-toxic product that contains 100% USDA certified biobased content, derived from field corn. Susterra propanediol is used to create the sole of the NPC UK Cotton + Corn footwear. DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products is a joint venture between DuPont, a global science company, and Tate & Lyle, a renewable food and industrial ingredients company.