Reebok introduces the first product from its highly-anticipated “Cotton + Corn” sustainable products initiative, which it previously announced last year.
The new Cotton + Corn program aims to produce footwear with “things that grow” in order to create sustainable products. The sneaker, dubbed the NPC UK Cotton + Corn, sports an upper made of 100% cotton, along with a corn-based sole. Further, the insoles are derived from castor bean oil and comes in packaging that is 100% recycled.
“Most athletic footwear is made using petroleum to create synthetic rubber and foam cushioning systems,” said Bill McInnis, Head of Reebok Future. “With 20 billion pairs of shoes made every year, this is not a sustainable way of making footwear. At Reebok, we thought ‘what if we start with materials that grow, and use plants rather than oil-based materials?’ By using sustainable resources as our foundation, and then through ongoing testing and development, we were able to create a plant-based sneaker that performs and feels like any other shoe.”
“The NPC UK Cotton + Corn is the only footwear product on the market that has been certified as containing 75% USDA certified biobased content,” added McInnis. “And this is just the start for us. We are on an ongoing path to create a different type of footwear – so that you can feel good about what you’re wearing and where it came from.”
Take a look at the Reebok NPC UK Cotton + Corn up above. It is out now in limited quantities for $95 USD, exclusively at Reebok.com.