Austrian fibre company Lenzing is aiming to grow its share in the footwear market following several launches that have touted the company’s suitability for the sector.
French running shoe brand Circle Sportswear worked with Lenzing for more than a year, selecting a Tencel Luxe filament for an upper, blended with 50% wool. The shoe is made of 75% natural materials, including a midsole that is 45% castor bean-based, and a biobased polymer outsole that does not shed microplastics.
Separately, for Solk’s debut launch, the Solk Fade 101, founder David Solk explained he spent six years on the research and development process to create a shoe in which every material is “compost compatible”. The upper is a chrome and metal-free leather, the outsole is natural rubber, the lining is a custom-developed blend of compostable yarns and plant fibres, while the laces and webbings have been made from Tencel wood pulp from sustainably harvested eucalyptus, beech and spruce trees. At the end of life, the company will send a compost bag to customers; the shoes are sent to a company-owned composting facility in Germany, where they are mixed with food waste and other materials to create a fertiliser.
Modern Synthesis worked with Evocative, Ourobio and Photino Science Communications on the concept Korvaa shoe, made from five biologically derived fibre inputs. The upper was made by Modern Synthesis from nanocellulose, a strong natural compound produced by microbes, combined with a 100% cotton substrate. The midsole was 3D printed by Ourobio using PHAs, bio-based biodegradable polymers that offer structure. The sole is made by Ecocative from mycelium, the root-like system of fungi. Lenzing's lyocell was used in a non-woven form to provide structure.
Nicole Schram, business development manager at Lenzing, pointed out that the company’s cellulosic fibres might not normally be associated with footwear, but can be used in uppers, linings, reinforcements and laces. They can also be used in powder form and added to outsoles.
The developments were presented for the first time at the Future Fabrics Expo in London.
Image: Modern Synthesis’ Korvaa shoe
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