How Reebok makes plant-based running shoes

• Running shoes are typically made entirely out of plastic, weighing around 510 grams, because plastic has the physical properties to withstand the repeated impact.
• Reebok is taking steps to reduce its plastic usage by replacing plastic in its running shoes with sustainable materials like eucalyptus tree bark, algae, and castor beans.
• The company was able to produce a 60% plant-based running shoe, the Forever Floatride GROW, that can withstand a marathon.
• Reebok says it's planning to adopt this practice in its other shoe models in 2021.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Following is a transcript of the video.

Narrator: What you're looking at is a waterfall of harvested algae, which is about to be turned into shoes. And while we've seen plant-based shoes before, most of them are casual shoes. Making running shoes out of plants is a little more challenging. Most experiments can't withstand the impact. But one company might've found a way to create a plant-based shoe that can stand up to running a marathon.

Running shoes come in different shapes and forms, but they generally share a few key characteristics. They usually have a large heel, a comfortable, snug fit, are lightweight, can withstand 150 to 300 miles, and cost anywhere between $100 and $250. And they're typically made entirely out of plastic. Which is why shoe companies have been experimenting with plastic alternatives. One such company, Reebok, decided to start with transforming its top running shoe, the Forever Floatride Energy.

Emily Mullins: We're doing our best to find the balance between the right materials that are great for the Earth and the performance that will be upheld so anyone can run in this shoe, ultimately to run a marathon.

Narrator: Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of plant-based materials that can live up to the same performance and durability as plastic. Corn couldn't hold up, and neither could mushrooms.

Mike Andrews: A lot of the considerations that go into using these materials is that they've never been used in footwear before. They might not have the right melt strength or the right modulus or elasticity to be suitable for a performance product.

Narrator: But after a year of trial and error, Reebok found the best combination of sustainable materials for its running shoe. The eucalyptus tree bark is refined into a yarn to make the upper mesh of the shoe. The algae is melted down to create the sock liner. The castor beans are turned into an oil to make the midsole. And, lastly, the rubber is used to make the outsole of the shoe. Each of these shoes uses 60% less plastic than a typical running shoe.

Andrews: A lot of testing went into qualifying these materials just to make sure that they'd, No. 1, would work as a performance-shoe material.

Narrator: There was dynamic impact testing, which simulates 100 miles of running to test for cushioning and responsiveness; performance testing, which simulates hundreds of miles of walking in one week to test for impact, abrasion, and flexion; and sending the shoes out, so people could test them while running an average of 25 miles a week for six weeks. But sustainability also comes with its challenges.

Andrews: There just aren't a lot of these materials available. And the materials that are available are either really expensive or they don't have the physical properties that we need, that our consumers expect for a performance footwear.

Narrator: And at the end of this shoe's life cycle, it'll still go straight to landfills. So while this model doesn't solve all the problems...

Mullins: We're really just taking the first couple of steps to make as many products that are bio-based, but it's dependent a lot on the materials and how quickly we can get more materials, how quickly they can scale.

Narrator: Reebok says it's planning to adopt this practice in its other shoe models in 2021.

Mullins: The more involvement and time and energy that brands like Reebok put into sustainability efforts, the more other companies and suppliers will come into the fold. So we're taking a good first step, but we have a ways to go, and we know that.

Narrator: As more and more companies work towards creating sustainable products, who knows? Maybe one day you'll be running in plant-based shoes without even knowing it.

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