VivoBarefoot plans to launch a new line of bio-based materials in 2019. The Primus Bio series will use corn-based TPU on the sole and upper.
According to the company, 60% of the outsole and 30% of the upper are made of bio-based TPU, which is based on DuPontTate & Lyle's Susterra bio-based propylene glycol. The company believes this will be the world's least Oil-dependent performance shoes.
Susterra is fermented from glucose made from corn starch. According to VivoBarefoot, this material gives the shoe greater flexibility in cold environments and is abrasion resistant.
Design Director Asher Clark said: 'Sustainability is our journey. We believe that the perfect shoes have the least interference to natural movements and have minimal impact on the environment. Primus Bio series is based on the future of sustainable materials, I believe this Sustainable materials are primarily based on biology.'
'This is an exciting step in the right direction, away from the one-off oil substitutes that are commonly used in sports shoes. In our process of redefining the relationship between the world and environmentally destructive materials, every step of the way Very important. '