Footwear Insight

16 • Footwear Insight ~ June 2021 footwearinsight.com boot, each pair is machine washable and has three-zone comfort (stability, arch support and cushioning) in a fresh coastal shoe. While Vionic "has always used recyclable and natural materials in its offerings, we've been increasing our library and working them into more designs," noted Constantino Fournier, director of innovation with Vionic. In turn, "we're bringing customers along in our messaging about it." The brand's website displays a diagram of each shoe showing its eco-components, along with other pertinent information. Nature Calls Consumers want to know what natural materials are going into their shoes and how it impacts the greater global well-being. For Spring 2021, Sanuk launched its newest Grateful Dead capsule collection of tie-dye colorways and the band's iconic lightning bolt logo. Using natural materials like hemp, jute and responsibly-sourced leather saved millions of liters of water in the manufacturing process. "Like the Dead, we love planet earth and we know that every material choice has an impact," commented Katie Pruitt, product director at Sanuk. Every material, in each shoe, must be suitable for its intended use. "Hemp and jute have great durability properties," said Pruitt. Bloom foam, which delivers "cushion, high rebound bounce and support" is made with repurposed algae to lower carbon emissions and clean fresh water sources. The collection's soft top foam midsoles are made with 20 percent Bloom foam. Simple also employs Bloom foam in its S1 shoe. "From a performance perspective, it's incredible as a footwear insole – soft, pliable and resilient day after day," commented Bruce Moore, director of innovation and sustainability for Simple's parent company, Kandui Holdings LLC. The S1 is assembled with water-based glue (less toxic for the environment and for workers) and organic cotton (no synthetic chemicals and uses less water than conventional cotton). A regrind rubber outsole and recycled cotton laces reduce waste in the supply chain. Recycling Initiative Boot brand Kodiak is incorporating PrimaLoft P.U.R.E. insulation into four of its Fall 2021 hiking and lifestyle boots — the Kindersley, Stave, Tagish and Chadsey. Kodiak is the first footwear company to utilize PrimaLoft P.U.R.E. (short for Produced Using Reduced Emissions) insulation, which is made with 100 percent post-consumer recycled PET plastic. "PrimaLoft P.U.R.E. is the perfect solution for us," said Karen McSorley, senior brand manager at Kodiak. "It's a proven, effective insulation that not only requires significantly less carbon to produce but that is also made with post-consumer recycled materials." The partnership with PrimaLoft P.U.R.E. technology is part of a larger sustainability initiative for Kodiak called Built for What Matters. Kodiak has partnered with many of its suppliers to incorporate less harmful manufacturing practices and more environmentally considered materials into its footwear with a goal to reduce its overall impact. n SUSTAINABILITY Kodiak Kindersley Twisted X Zero-X Sanuk x Grateful Dead Simple S1 Vionic

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