Footwear brand VIVOBAREFOOT is launching plant-based shoes in a bid to become 90% sustainable

Leading global barefoot footwear company VIVOBAREFOOT has announced it is to launch plant-based shoes using natural bi-products derived from the corn industry in a bid to become 90% sustainable by 2020. 

In their quest to become 90% sustainable by 2020, Clarks family-founded footwear brand VIVOBAREFOOT have created a new range of shoes, Primus Bio, using a plant-based polymer in its sole and upper – a natural bi-product of the field corn food industry.

Vivobarefoot’ vision is to make the most sustainable shoes on the planet, and the Founders are firm believers that barefoot shoe-making equates to sustainability. It has already pioneered shoes made of repurposed algae (Ultra Bloom), and another Eco range made of 50% recycled plastic –with 17 recycled bottles per pair. Last year, the brand diverted over 2m plastic bottles from landfills in our shoes this way.

Plant-based polymer

The entire sole of the Primus Bio and 70% of the upper is made from plant-based polymer – (Susterra Propanediol), making a shoe that is the least petroleum-reliant performance shoe in the world. Susterra Propanediol is a by-product from the glucose in field corn and is petroleum-free, non-toxic and 100% USDA certified.

The material gives greater flexibility in the cold and is incredibly resilient to abrasions and general wear. Susterra Propanediol uses 42% less energy than the standard petroleum-based materials used by the global footwear industry, and 56% less greenhouse gas emissions.

Minimal environmental impact 

“Put simply, we believe that that the perfect shoe is perfect for feet. With minimal environmental impact on the planet,” said Asher Clark, Design Director at VIVOBAREFOOT.

“Sustainability is journey and the Primus Bio champions the future of sustainable materials which I believe will be largely bio-based. This is an exciting step in the right direction away from the single-use petroleum-based alternatives commonly used in sports shoes ”.

The Primus Bio will be available to purchase from the VIVOBAREFOOT website in 2019.