Adidas Debuts Vegan Mushroom Leather Shoes In Collaboration With Bolt Threads

16 April 2021

Sustainable vegan leather alternatives are gradually gaining popularity among apparel brands, with big names such as Hermes and Stella McCartney featuring innovative vegan materials in their collections.

Joining this trend, sportswear giant Adidas has launched shoes made from a vegan mushroom leather. This version of its infamous Stan Smith shoes are made with a material called Mylo, which was recently used by Stella McCartney as well. Mylo is made from roots of mushrooms called mycelium, developed by a biotechnology company called Bolt Threads which has partnered with Adidas.

The body of the new Stan Smith Mylo is made with Mylo while the midsoles consist of natural rubber. The brand notes that the material "looks and feels like leather – soft, supple, but a more renewable alternative." Mylo can also take any colour and finish.

Highlighting the sustainability and efficiency of the mushroom leather, Adidas stated that the mushrooms used for the leather are grown using a vertical agriculture technique and take less than two weeks before they’re ready. This allows more yield per square foot and requires less space.

The brand hasn't yet confirmed the price of the shoes.

Sustainability Goals of Adidas

Last year, Adidas emphasized its dedication towards sustainability and the environment, and announced that it will only use recycled plastic from 2024. The purpose of these Mylo-based shoes is to find eco-friendly alternatives to animal and plastic leather. Adidas states that it is exploring creative material innovations for this purpose.

The company released another version of their Stan Smith shoes called Stan Smith PRIMEGREEN earlier this year made with 50% recycled materials. Adidas' brand Reebok also announced the launch of its vegan and sustainable training shoes Nano X1 this week.

Image Courtesy: Adidas