Sustainable Sneakers the SIRMIONE ECO
The key word for SIRMIONE ECO Series is ‘recycle’.
When it comes to another essential part of a sneaker, the outsole
The New Sustainable Series that KOKOLU launches, the SIRMIONE ECO Series, is all about “recycle”.
SAN FRANSCISCO , CALIFORNIA, USA, July 1, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — It took 600 samples and about half a year of working with one of the most innovative manufacturers in the shoe making industry to ensure the sustainability, performance and aesthetic standards that could hold up to the process of making an eco-friendly sneaker. Now, sustainable fashion brand KOKOLU is fully ready to launch their new sneakers series, the SIRMIONE ECO.
“The key word for SIRMIONE ECO Series is ‘recycle’. ” said Lucas, product director and co-founder of KOKOLU. The shoe upper is made from recycled fiber which is made out of post-consumer plastic bottles. According to the company, a ton of recycled plastic bottles can produce about 0.9 tons of recycled polyester fiber, reducing fuel consumption by 6 tons and carbon emissions by 32 tons.
“Our insole is made from recycled foam and corn starch. It took 3 months to work with our material suppliers for this absolute sustainable insole cause we want it to be not only recycled, but also recyclable.” That is not the only innovative material that KOKOLU has worked on a sneaker. This year in March, the company announced its 100% biodegradable vegan leather sneaker, which will be put on to market soon this August.
When it comes to another essential part of a sneaker, the outsole, the brand leveled up the proportion of recycled rubber to 35%. “We also replace petroleum-based rubber with eco-certified sustainable natural rubber from Vietnam.” The company already knew what the final product needed to look like. “We kept our signature silhouette design cause we know what the consumer expects,” founder of the brand, Luanne says, “We are super confident with the materials we use, and besides that, we want to make our shoe both comfortable and stylish.” Using a new material doesn’t seem a huge challenge to the brand though they had to look at every aspect, such as the yarn chosen, the heat processes, the 3D knitting machines needed, etc. “We’ve developed a close strategic cooperation with top supply chain partners for the past years, and that’s the key that we can roll in new and more sustainable materials and put into our designs and production.”
From the materials through the production process, KOKOLU has been working to offset their carbon footprint. “We want to be a part of our consumers’ low-carbon lifestyle.” By working with the world’s top material suppliers and the New Material R&D Center, the brand has developed the “greenKsoleTM” outsole which is 100% eco-friendly, 100% recycled upper, and 100% sustainable insole.
As part of KOKOLU’s effort to end plastic waste, their SIRMIONE ECO Series creation comes in three steps. “We want to make our materials fully traceable, so the first step was to select a manufacturing partner that completely share our values and is willing to make radical changes with us. This was really not easy cause it meant that the factory needed to break down their raw materials into far more detailed columns.” said Lucas. The next step the brand did was to work with the selected manufacturing partner to build a production line for the specific knitting technique needed.
“We had plenty to learn too. The manufacturing process required computer programming, and now we have a product where the material comes from plastic waste and almost 100% of the material gets used.” Lucas added.
The last step is about to close the loop. According to the company, the whole shoe of SIRMIONE ECO Series is recyclable, and the company is working with both the local government and their material partners on the recycling of the shoes and bringing them into the production line of SIRMIONE ECO again.
Beverley Miller
THE THEME
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