The materials that are 100% biobased at the SKU level, manufactured from plants, are more environmentally preferred and sustainable over other traditional shoe materials that include foundations that may be petrochemicals or may have plastics or synthetics as part of its basic makeup. Examples of these materials are Mirum, HyphaLite™, and Man Made Cellulous – Tree Fiber, Lyocell, Modal.

There are other biobased materials that are a certain percent bio – that are blended or mixed with other materials (plastics or synthetics). These materials are more environmentally preferred than traditional synthetics or plastics materials alone because they displace a percent of those materials with plant-based materials. Examples of these materials are Desserto, Pinatex, Campo, Mylo.

There are also bio based materials being used in footwear that are regenerative - materials that regenerate the environment through carbon sequestration, water cleaning, and/or environmental restoration. Algae is a good example. Companies (Bloom) are using a percent of algae, for example, mixed with other materials to meet performance standards. Regenerative bio materials are considered more sustainable than other blended materials because they provide a return benefit to the environment. This is an area to watch: there is an entire movement of regenerative agriculture which is being developed where terrestrial farming practices act as a carbon sink in the soil, while also improving animal husbandry and other enviro-social issues.

In assessing bio materials, it is vital to get a LCA, or an ASTM D6866 test report, to ensure you know the actual percent biobased at the material SKU level. It is also important to look at how the product is made – was it developed sustainably or was an excessive amount of water or emissions used to make the product? Wisdom is needed here, which LCAs can help provide.

Shoe companies should also consider how they combine these materials with other materials during production. Some bio materials can be mixed with other materials (like tree fibers with other fibers) to lower costs or to adjust function. Other bio materials cannot be mixed with other materials. Known suppliers of these materials have key expertise on these matters and will provide in-depth guidance.

As a threshold for footwear uppers, we suggest companies simply begin using certified bio materials to displace more traditional, non-natural, petrochemical based materials where possible (backings, re-enforcements or upper materials). For other footwear areas and components, please work towards the bio blend percent we list elsewhere in this guide.

Targets for upper focused materials are hard to create at this time based on their newness, as well as a need for more data on performance and other metrics. We will update this area, and the whole guide, as information improves and more advances are made.