Sympatex aims to inspire footwear brands with recyclable shoe
26/09/2017
It follows its launch of the recycled and recyclable ‘jacket 4.0’ made out of 32 PET bottles at OutDoor Friedrichshafen in June, the second in a series the company describes as “lighthouse projects”.
Dr Rüdiger Fox, CEO of the German company, said: “We are consuming the reserves of our children’s generation – and leaving piles of rubbish behind. This project is an attempt to counteract this trend.”
The shoe’s Sympatex membrane consists of 100% recycled polyether-ester and the recycled outer fabric and linings contain polyester fibres from PET bottles.
It says using recycled polyester fibres compared with petroleum-based fibres results in a 32% reduction in CO2, 60% energy savings and 94% less water consumption.
The leather upper can be used again, while recycled material is also used for the insole, pads, threads, shoelaces and adhesives. More than two-thirds of the sole is made from recycled rubber.
“We do not plan a shoe collection, but we want to demonstrate examples of what is possible in the shoe sector in terms of ecology until we jointly succeed in closing the resource cycle. We invite the entire industry to replicate these technological opportunities,” added Mr Fox.
Sympatex offsets its carbon emissions through a ClimatePartner scheme.
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