With both the fashion and footwear worlds turning towards more sustainable means, sportswear giant PUMA is the latest label to launch a new initiative.
Taking its iconic Suede model, PUMA has renamed the experimental version of the shoe, Re:Suede. The pilot sneaker is part of the label’s goal to meet the growing demand for sustainable products and is implemented with a number of new technology methods. This includes Zeology tanned suede, biodegradable thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and hemp fibers.
PUMA aims to launch its Re:Suede sneaker in January 2022, first being tested and reviewed by 500 participants based in Germany. Each chosen participant will wear the Re:Suede for six months to test the sneaker’s durability before moving on to the next step in the experiment. PUMA will then determine if the grade A compost can be produced from the Re:Suede sneaker.
PUMA’s Re:Suede initiative is part of the label’s newly developed “Circular Lab” program. In an official press release, Heiko Desens, PUMA’s Creative Director shared:
“In 2012, our circular ambition was bold but the technology wasn’t quite there. As they say, with every challenge there’s an opportunity – and we’ve continued to push ourselves to do better by applying our strengths as well as acknowledging and improving on our weaknesses. We hope that progress made during the RE:SUEDE experiment: ‘No Time For Waste‘ will help us continue to raise the bar in circularity testing – enabling our consumers to make better fashion choices in the future, so their sneakers can go ‘from Suede to Soil’, without compromising on product style or durability during ownership.”
