Products that apply natural materials and upcycling materials, such as Hemp (industrial hemp), waste wool, pineapple leaves, and recycled plastic, are being released one after another, becoming a new trend. This is due to the spread of “value consumption” that carefully looks into materials and production processes when purchasing products.
According to the fashion industry, French sneaker brand VEJA will collaborate with French and Danish lifestyle brand BaseRange to introduce “anatomic sneaker.” Designed under the concept of “Walking as a Meditation,” the product features a light fit considering the structure of the foot. It has a sporty design with added foam tongue details. It utilized sustainable materials. Mescla material applied to some models was developed by Textile Cooperative Virgo Koop in southern France. Mescla is a hybrid fabric that combines lacone wool (55%) and organic French hemp (45%). Lacone wool is mainly obtained from sheep raised in France for milk production, and is not the preferred fabric due to its rough and short fiber length.
NOLYN materials including recycled polyester are applied to the upper part. Insole is made from sugarcane-based bioethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), organic cotton, and natural rubber from Amazon. The eco-friendly design is reflected throughout the material, with natural rubber and recycled rubber also used in outsole.
Eco-friendly shoe brand Albuzz has also launched canvas sneaker “Cruiser Canvas” aimed at the spring and summer seasons in line with the warmer weather. The design is modeled after classical tennis shoes, which are light and breathable. It is made of eco-friendly fiber that is a mixture of hemp (industrial hemp) and organic cotton. The midsole is made of a sugarcane-based material called “sweet foam,” which makes it feel like a fit.
There are four types of colors: antlersite (gray), urban (orange), Blizzard (white), and bunt olive (green). The neat silhouette goes well with both casual and semi-casual attire. “It is good to wear as a daily shoe anytime, anywhere,” said an All Verge official. Global fashion brands have also entered the race for eco-friendly materials. Stella Meccatney has launched sneakers that can be composted. It is designed to be able to decompose naturally after use by applying a brush made of biodegradable materials such as pineapple leaf fiber and dyeing with natural cinnamon. Nike is also targeting the eco-friendly sneaker market with its Space Hippie series. Some models are made using waste and recycled plastic left over from the shoe making process.
The fashion industry sees such a change as a consumption trend that goes beyond temporary trends. This is why global brands are disclosing their carbon emission reduction goals one after another and investing in research and development to increase the proportion of eco-friendly materials. “In the past, there was a perception that eco-friendly products were somewhat uncomfortable or less aesthetic, but recently, with the development of materials technology, more and more products are satisfying both the fit and design,” an industry source said. “Sustainability is becoming a competitive factor in the sneaker market.”
SALLY LEE
US ASIA JOURNAL
