Puma is advancing its sustainability goals with biodegradable shoes.
On Wednesday, the brand announced its Re: Suede experiment — a Zeology suede and hemp sneaker set atop TPE outsoles, inspired by the label’s signature Suede style — has successfully resulted in a sneaker that can be composted, with contributions from Ortessa Group — which operated the composting area used by Puma.
Within its experiment, Puma tested 500 pairs of sneakers with volunteers in Germany in 2021, later sent to an Ortessa-owned composting area in the Netherlands. The two-year-long results show that the brand’s shoes can be turned into compost under specific conditions; pairs were shredded and combined with household waste before being placed in a composting tunnel over 3.5 months. Pieces that could pass through a sieve by Netherlands standards were sold as Grade A compost, while others that needed to break down further were put back in the tunnel.
“While the Re:Suede could not be processed under the standard operating procedures for industrial composting, the shoes did eventually turn into compost,” said Anne-Laure Descours, Chief Sourcing Officer at Puma, in a statement. “We will continue to innovate with our partners to determine the infrastructure and technologies needed to make the process viable for a commercial version of the Re:Suede, including a takeback scheme, in 2024.”
Watch on FN
Puma’s Re:Suede experiment continues its growth in sustainability, in addition to the polyester recycling program Re:Fibre within its “Circular Lab” circularity hub. The brand intends to release a detailed report on Re:Suede’s composting trials and will incorporate feedback from trial wearers to make future footwear more comfortable while showing greater transparency.
As previously reported in FN’s September issue, Puma has also continued its eco-friendly initiatives and sourcing with goals to increase renewable energy usage, reduce emissions and continue its Puma Voices of a Re:Generation initiative — which focuses on future sustainability for younger generations.
About the Author:
Aaron Royce is the Digital Editor for Footwear News, where he writes stories on trending news, celebrity style, collaborations and in-depth profile interviews. Prior to joining Footwear News, Aaron wrote for publications including PAPER, Grazia and the Daily Front Row. He currently holds a B.S. in mass communications from Virginia Commonwealth University.
