Biodegradable sneaker from Koio
Luxury footwear brand Koio, based in New York City, has launched a sneaker range that claims to be 99% biodegradable.
Using Italian-made “regenerative leather”, the new Mello range features uppers that are metal free and from hides sourced from regenerative and carbon neutral farms in the Swiss Alps. In using the materials from regenerative practices, the brand say that 43.75 pounds of carbon are saved for each pair of shoes.
In addition to the biodegradable leather, the sneaker has handmade soles manufactured from rubber-tree milk from French manufacturers Lactae Hevea, plus biodegradable insoles and organic cotton laces.
At the launch, Koio co-founder, Johannes Quodt, said: “This shoe is proof that no sustainable goal is unachievable, and we hope it inspires our friends in the footwear industry to take big steps towards a more sustainable future.”
Image: Koio.
