Fitness and lifestyle brand Reebok developed launched unisex cotton sneakers with a corn-based sole, the first product in their Cotton + Corn initiative.

The programme aims to produce footwear with “things that grow”, in order to create sustainable products. The so-called NPC UK Cotton + Corn sneakers have an upper made from 100 per cent undyed cotton. Rather than using petroleum-based rubber, like most athletic wear, Reebok chose for a corn-based sole. In addition, the insoles are derived from castor bean oil, and the packaging the shoes come in is 100 per cent recycled.

For the Cotton + Corn initiative, Reebok partnered with DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, a manufacturer of high-performance biobased solutions. DuPont Tate & Lyle has developed Susterra propanediol, a petroleum-free, non-toxic product that contains 100% USDA certified biobased content, derived from field corn. This material is used to create the sole of the shoes.

According to Reebok, the NPC UK Cotton + Corn is the only footwear product on the market that has been certified as containing 75% USDA certified biobased content.

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Photos: Reebok