In Washington, outdoor lifestyle brand REI Co-op has released two new athletic shoes featuring biobased and recycled materials.
The Traverse shoe features a midsole made from algae-based foam developed by REI partner Bloom. Senior product manager for footwear at REI Bennett Grimes says the material has both performance and sustainability benefits. “The cool thing is that not only can we control the density, but algae allows us to use 10% fewer fossil fuels when creating our midsole system,” he says. This midsole is topped with an insole, dubbed Trailbed, made from corn-based polymer Susterra, he adds.
The second shoe—dubbed Flash—is a hiking boot that is waterproof and features a recycled thermoplastic polyurethane upper as well as FirmaKnit, a leather alternative made from 99% recycled plastic.