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 ‘Forever Floatride GROW’ shoes, made from sustainably sourced rubber and that essential horticultural ingredient; eucalyptus! Yesterday, Reebok brand president Matt O’Toole promoted the footwear as an upgrade to previous ‘Corn and Cotton NBs.’ Those shoes were designed for “lifestyle,” to test the waters, and to take a jab at Nike’s 100% organic Air Max 90’s (which ended up on eBay for $1,446!). In contrast to anything before it, however, O’Toole claims these new kicks are “sturdy enough to handle the wear and tear from intense and constant use by athletes.” Can you eat them as well? We don’t 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 Floatride’s 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.
