Puma’s most iconic sneaker is going biodegradable

To meet growing demand for sustainable products, Puma has developed an experimental version of its most iconic sneaker, the SUEDE, to see if they can make a functional sneaker biodegradable. 

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The RE:SUEDE–No Time For Waste pilot project uses Zeology (zeolite-based process) tanned suede, biodegradable TPE, and hemp fibers in the sneakers’ construction—addressing the challenge of waste management in the footwear industry and allowing Puma to take responsibility for the afterlife of its products.

The pilot will launch in January 2022, when around 500 participants in Germany will be selected to wear a pair of RE:SUEDEs for six months to test out the durability of the shoe in real life, before returning them. The sneakers will then be subject to an industrial biodegradation process at Valor Compostering, a waste processing facility in the Netherlands. 

RE:SUEDE isn’t Puma’s first go at a biodegradable sneaker. The brand first attempted the initiative with the InCycle Collection in 2012, but due to low demand, it was put on hold. “In 2012, our circular ambition was bold, but the technology wasn’t quite there,” says Heiko Desens, the brand’s Creative Director. Puma’s innovation department has since applied lessons learned from the InCycle collection to the RE:SUEDE experiment. Improvements include the use of new materials like Zeology, and an improved outsole to ensure optimal wear.

“We hope that progress made during the RE:SUEDE experiment, ‘No Time For Waste‘, will help consumers make better fashion choices in the future, so their sneakers can go ‘from Suede to Soil’, without compromising on product style or durability during ownership.”