As plant-based diets become more trendier, is the next phase plant-based fashion?
Reeobok is offering a new shoe on Oct. 1, the Forever Floatride GROW, a plant-based shoe, and the first 50 buyers will receive a half-bushel of fresh vegetables from Siena Farms, Sudbury, Mass.
Reebok is hyping the Forever Floatride GROW, available at reebok.com for $120, as the “only U.S. Department of Agriculture certified performance running shoe.” It has a midsole made of sustainably grown castor beans, a eucalyptus tree upper, a sock liner make of odor-resistant algae and a sole made from rubber trees.
“We have been able to replace petroleum-based plastics that are traditionally used in running shoes with plant-based plastics,” Emily Mullins, product director at Reebok, said in the release. “We expect to be able to use more plant-based alternatives for our products moving forward and we’ll move fast in this space.”
Mike Andrews, advanced development director at Reebok, said the company conducted extensive tests to ensure athletes wouldn't feel the difference with the plant-based shoe.
“I’m impressed that Reebok is setting an example, pushing for change and moving towards a more sustainable material,” chef Ana Sortun, who owns three restaurants in the Boston area and is married to Siena Farms’ owner Chris Kurth, said in the release. “This is the beginning of a whole new realm of fashion that makes the planet happier.”