By replacing the use of leather with cruelty-free material, Reebok has turned its sneakers made from corn and cotton vegan.
The last ‘eco-friendly’ shoe model featured a leather patch on the heel and tongue attracting the attention of PETA, who urged Reebok to vegan the sneakers.
The brand’s new vegan shoe is the first ever 75 percent USDA certified bio-based shoe, made with a 100 percent cotton upper and a bio-based sole derived from corn.
From Dust To Dust
Mr Bill McInnis, Head of Reebok Future said, “We love to mention, we’re ‘developing footwear’ here at Reebok. Ultimately, our goal is to create a broad selection of bio-based footwear that can be composted after use. We’ll then use that compost as part of the soil to grow the materials for the next range of shoes. We want to take the entire cycle into account; to go from dust to dust.”
Toxic Tanneries
Mr Ingrid Newkirk, PETA President said, “Reebok is at the forefront of a vegan revolution using high-tech materials that are kind to the Earth and all its inhabitants. PETA is calling on retailers around the world to follow Reebok’s example and develop high-performance fabrics that spare cows terrible deaths and spare the environment toxic tanneries.”
The animal-rights organization also gave Reebok an award dubbed Innovator For Animals, stating the brand’s vegan sneakers: “Perfectly demonstrates the superiority of cruelty-free, plant-based technology over leather and other animal-derived materials and provides trendsetters and active-wear enthusiasts alike with sneakers that are durable, light, zero-waste, and, best of all, animal friendly.”
