Sportswear giant Adidas has announced the first-ever mushroom leather version of one of its most popular sneaker styles, the Stan Smith.
The Stan Smith Mylo, as it’s being called will be made of Mylo, a mycelium-derived leather alternative, produced by biotechnology company Bolt Threads. Mylo, being plant-based is a renewable and sustainably-derived alternative for animal-based leather. Mycelium, from which the leather-like product is derived, is also produced in a highly efficient growth process that takes less than two weeks, thus exceeding the production rate of animal-based leather.
The iconic Stan Smith’s sustainable version will have Mylo for the outer upper material, the perforated three stripes, and the heel tab overlay shoe. The midsole of the Stan Smith Mylo will be constructed from natural rubber. The shoe is slated to launch for sales within the next 12 months.
This comes soon after luxury giant Kering announced its investment in Mylo. Brands like Lululemon and Stella McCartney have already been using the mushroom-based leather alternative for quite some time as well. With Adidas adding to plant-based products in the market, the accessibility of sustainable fashion to the regular consumer becomes elevated.
Image Source: news.adidas.com