sustainable footwear

Natural Fiber Welding (NFW) has developed PLIANT, a 100% biobased material made from plants, not plastic, designed for outsoles.

© Natural Fiber Welding

Materials

Natural Fiber Welding Introduces World’s First Plant-Based Cured Natural Rubber Outsoles

US Plant-based material company Natural Fiber Welding (NFW) has developed PLIANT, a 100% biobased material made from plants, not plastic, designed for outsoles. PLIANT is made with natural rubber derived from the sap of the Hevea brasiliensis tree, harvested from certified, responsibly managed forests combined with NFW’s patented plant-based curative process. This method is said to replace the function of petrochemical ingredients in footwear performance. As a result, PLIANT plastic-free outsoles are said to be the world’s first naturally cured performance rubber soles, paving the way for animal and fossil-fuel-free footwear.  In addition, PLIANT outsoles are mechanically recyclable, described as bioneutral (made only with natural raw materials), and free of toxic chemicals. Furthermore, the material is rapidly scalable, using standard compression molding in the manufacturing process, making it …

more

Organisations and brands:

Dow and Crocs collaboration

© Crocs
Materials

Dow and Crocs Collaborate for Shoes Made With Plant-Based Polymers

Dow and Crocs are joining forces to develop sustainable plant-based footwear. The news comes as Dow launches ENGAGE™ REN, a more eco-friendly version of its ENGAGE™ high-performing polyolefin elastomers (POEs). According to the Swiss materials science company, the POEs are produced using a new technology called ECOLIBRIUM. This makes it possible to develop materials that have a lower carbon footprint while retaining the same high-performance properties. ENGAGE™ REN is said to offer improvements in foam quality, polymer consistency, resilience, durability, and abrasion resistance. The polymers also allow for lighter foams with no reduction in hardness. Crocs collaboration Crocs will be the first footwear brand to bring Dow’s new technology to market. The materials producer has already begun supplying Crocs with plant-based polymers, which the latter …

more

Next Gen materials

©FutureVVorld
Fashion, Design & Beauty

State of the Industry Report: Next-Gen Materials – a Deep Dive With Industry Expert Allen Zelden

Last week, The Material Innovation Initiative published a first-of-its-kind paper named State of the Industry Report: Next-Gen Materials, revealing some impressive figures on the trends within sustainable materials: $1.29 billion was invested in the category between 2015 and 2021 with $504 million invested in 2020 alone, almost as much as in the four previous years combined. The report also revealed that there are 74 Next Gen companies in operation, with 49 in the category of vegan leather; that there are 95 unique investors in the industry; and that, interestingly, 38 out of 40 leading fashion brands are “actively seeking” Next Gen materials. The data is certainly extremely encouraging, and we were keen to delve further, so we took a deep dive with sustainable materials expert …

more

Organisations and brands: