With an eye toward sustainable manufacturing, Reebok will launch its first plant-based sports shoe in fall 2020.
With components like algae, eucalyptus trees, and castor beans, the materials in the Forever Floatride GROW read like the ingredients in some kind of healthy treat. But slip it on your foot, and Reebok claims its newest shoe “rivals the best performance running sneakers on the market.”
The new plant-based running shoe, which will launch in fall 2020, updates Reebok’s Forever Floatride Energy. And while it’s decidedly “green,” Reebok claims major advancements give it great performance.
The most significant sustainability advancement is the shoe’s highly cushioned, responsive midsole. Reebok built it from sustainably grown castor beans. The shoe, the brand contends, maintains the high performance and lightweight cushioning standard of the original Forever Floatride Energy.
Eucalyptus Tree Upper, Algae Foam
Leave this shoe outdoors, and the upper — made from sustainably sourced eucalyptus trees — will biodegrade.
Inside the shoe, the sock liner utilizes BLOOM algae foam. Reebok harvests the algae from invasive growth areas. Finally, Reebok sources the flexible, durable, responsive natural rubber outsole from real rubber trees rather than the petroleum-based rubber featured in other performance products.
“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,” said Bill McInnis, vice president of Reebok Future.
“During the 3 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 ForeverFloatride GROW is the result. Plant-based performance — with no compromise.”
Forever Floatride GROW will be available for purchase in fall 2020. Consumers can sign up to learn more here.
