Reebok Releases Plant-based Sneakers
What are those?! Reebok wants you to try a pair of vegan running shoes on for size, the Adidas-owned brand making a creative entry to the booming plant-based market. To be fair, we think they look pretty fly!
Introducing the โForever Floatride GROWโ shoes, made from sustainably sourced rubber and that essential horticultural ingredient; eucalyptus! Yesterday, Reebok brand president Matt OโToole promoted the footwear as an upgrade to previous ‘Corn and Cotton NBs.’ Those shoes were designed for โlifestyle,โ to test the waters, and to take a jab at Nikeโs 100% organic Air Max 90โs (which ended up on eBay for $1,446!). In contrast to anything before it, however, OโToole claims these new kicks are โsturdy enough to handle the wear and tear from intense and constant use by athletes.โ Can you eat them as well? We donโt advise it!
Consumer trends are shifting rapidly towards ecological alternatives, with millennials and Generation Z most passionate about sustainability. The plant-based meat and grocery boom this year brought on by Beyond Meat is exemplary of what consumers will pay for a clear conscience, but these Floatrideโs aren’t about the money. Reebok is auditioning in front of that young demographic to prove it’s up to the environmental challenge.
The reception so far has been positive, but the sneakers could become a victim of their own success! The United States Environmental Protection Agency ran the annual stats on landfill trash and found Americans throwing 300 million old pairs of shoes into greenhouse gas-emitting holes in the ground. For maximum net positive environmental impact, be careful not to chuck your junk unsustainably after getting your green on and lacing up your new vegan shoes.