Vivobarefoot launches plant-based shoe

Global barefoot shoe brand Vivobarefoot has launched its most innovative sustainable shoe to date with its plant-based Primus Lite II Bio, as new research reveals that 67.5 percent of people think the use of plant-based and natural materials is a key factor in determining if a product is sustainable.

The new vegan shoe is designed with more than 30 percent renewable plant-based materials, including Bio TPU made from yellow dent field corn and uses natural rubber and harvested algae called ‘Bloom’ instead of single-use petroleum materials. The design is Vivobarefoot’s lightest and most efficient performance shoe yet, weighing in on average an estimated 10 percent less than standard performance shoes.

The footwear company is calling the new shoe a “game-changer” as it represents a major stride for the company towards its goal of using 100 percent bio-based materials within the next two years.

“The launch of the Primus Lite Bio represents an exciting step away from the industry’s reliance on single-use petroleum-based materials and towards a promising future of plant-based alternatives,” said Asher Clark, design director at Vivobarefoot in a statement. “We want to challenge the world’s relationship with shoes, the materials they are made from and the impact they are having on us and our environment. Our ultimate goal is complete circularity.”

More than 20 billion pairs of shoes are made annually, most from petrochemicals claim Vivobarefoot, which have a harmful impact on the environment, contributing to the already serious effects of climate change. The plant-based materials in the Primus Lite II Bio shoe are sourced and managed responsibly reducing water, energy and CO2 emissions, improving waste water and ultimately reducing their ecological footprint.

Clark added: “The less you put between your feet and the environment, the better. Just like our other styles, Primus Lite II Bio was designed to let people’s feet do their natural thing, while providing maximum sensory feedback from your body to your brain. The Primus Lite II Bio is not perfect, it still contains significant non-plant-based products, but it’s a step in the right direction. There are many challenges the footwear industry faces in creating sustainable products, and Vivobarefoot believes it is better to innovate for good, rather than to stand still.”

While a limited run of the Primus Lite II Bio goes on sale this week for 120 pounds, additional styles and colours of the Bio line will be released in autumn 2019.

Images: courtesy of Vivobarefoot