Reebok To Launch Fully Plant-based Running Shoes
Reebok has launched its first ever plant-based performance running shoe range.
The Forever Floatride GROW will launch in 2020, and is an updated version of the brand’s Forever Floatride Energy product.
Reebok says the shoe is part of its commitment to reducing the use of petroleum-based plastics in its footwear by making products with plants and builds on the brand’s Cotton + Corn lifestyle collection of footwear.
The new product is made from castor beans, algae, eucalyptus trees and natural rubber.
Bill McInnis, Vice President, Reebok Future said: “With Forever Floatride GROW, we’re replacing oil-based plastic with plants. The biggest challenge in making a shoe like this was developing plant-based materials that could meet the high performance needs of runners. During the three years we spent developing this product, we heard loud and clear that the idea of a plant-based running shoe resonates strongly with serious runners. But those same runners felt just as emphatically that they would never compromise on performance. The Forever Floatride GROW is the result. Plant-based performance – with no compromise.”
Matt O’Toole, Reebok Brand President, added: “The earth is a runner’s arena, and we have a responsibility to help detox the world for the athletes who run in it.
“Our Cotton + Corn collection was the first step in making shoes from things that grow. Now, we have taken an award-winning running shoe, the Forever Floatride Energy, and reinvented it using natural materials to create what we feel is the most sustainable performance running shoe on the market.”
“Our consumers have told us they want more sustainable products, and the running community has been the most vocal and passionate on this issue. We want to help runners perform at their best, while also feeling good about the products they wear.”
Reebok says its sustainability efforts come under two pillars: [REE]GROW, which focuses on the creation of products from natural materials; and [REE]CYCLED, which focuses on creating products using recycled or repurposed materials.
The brand says it has committed to reducing virgin polyester from its material mix and eliminating it altogether by 2024.
