PUMA to launch biodegradability pilot for sustainable sneakerheads

In Germany, PUMA is piloting a biodegradable version of its SUEDE sneaker, which is one of its most recognizable styles.  Dubbed RE:SUEDE, the shoe is made from Zeology tanned suede, thermoplastic elastomers, and hemp fibers. 

Just 500 will be manufactured and shipped in January. Pilot participants will wear RE:SUEDE for six months and then send the test sneakers back to PUMA for assessment and composting in an industrial unit operated by the Netherlands’ Valor Compostering. The resulting material will then be assessed for suitability in agricultural applications. 

RE:SUEDE applies learnings from InCycle, a biodegradable shoe PUMA launched in 2012 but discontinued due to weak demand.  “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,” Heiko Desens, PUMA’s Creative Director, says in a press statement. 

By 2025, PUMA aims to reduce waste by increasing the level of recycled polyester in its products to 75%, setting up product takeback schemes in its major markets and developing recycled material options for leather, rubber, cotton and polyurethane.

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