Canadian footwear company Sole released a limited edition shoe made with natural, sustainable materials, including a substitute for petroleum-based foam midsoles.
Sole used ReCork for the midsole of its recently released Jasper Chukka, a material made from recycled wine corks, replacing carbon-intensive foams with the lightweight, flexible, cushioning alternative that’s carbon negative. The material results from fifteen years of development since the company launched ReCork in 2008 to create a recycling stream for wine corks.
The Jasper Chukka includes other natural materials that combine with the cork midsole. The shoe gets its “puffy jacket” feel from its quilted upper, combining two Merino wool and up-cycled Bison fur. Together, they are temperature-regulating, wick moisture and antimicrobial.
Inside the shoe, a cushioning footbed in Sole’s signature supportive shape is topped with natural cork fabric, while the natural rubber outsole rounds off the sustainable materials.
“For a long time, innovation in footwear has focused only on comfort and performance, with sustainability being an afterthought. With the Jasper Chukka, we set out to prove that all three can go hand-in-hand,” said Sole and ReCork Founder/CEO Mike Baker. “Sustainability doesn’t need to be your top priority to choose this shoe; once you feel it on your feet, you’ll never want to take it off.”
Image courtesy Sole
