Time was, when a few pairs of shoes would suffice for most people, but we now live in an age when even those without the faintest interest in Quick strikes, Ultra strikes, collaborations, or any other term linked to the release of limited sneakers, will find themselves with more than a cupboard full of them. This is a problem because shoes have a lifespan that doesn’t lend itself to being passed on in the way that, say, clothes do. And shoes don’t break down so easily, with even the brands focused on sustainability using glues and resins that can wreak havoc on the environment, which is why Vivobarefoot’s new compostable shoe is a game-changer.
A biodegradable shoe based on the brand’s bestselling VivoBiome sneaker, the prototype is made from a thermoplastic developed by Balena. Vivobarefoot label the process ‘Scan-to-print-to-soil’, highlighting the streamlined process behind the production of the shoe. In scanning the foot, then printing the shoe at will, the company sees itself leaning into a form of production that is ready and waiting only when needed – an on-demand sneaker that will perform its function and then return to the earth from whence it came.
The shoe is currently in testing. Check out the images below.
Images © VivoBarefoot