London-based barefoot shoe company Vivobarefoot partnered with San Diego-based Bloom, which uses algae biomass harvested from freshwater sources around the world to make EVA foams out of a non-fossil fuel.
Vivobarefoot shoes will be the first full shoes to use the material and will be available for purchase in the summer of 2017.
The Vivobarefoot X Bloom collaboration will start by using the Bloom algae-EVA foams in the Ultra shoes. A single pair of men’s size 42 Vivobarefoot x Bloom shoes returns 57 gallons of clean water to habitat and reduces 40 balloons worth of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere per pair.
“Our goal is to deliver the most performance-driven materials in the most environmentally responsible manner,” said Mike Van Drunen, CEO of Bloom. “It is a goal we constantly strive to improve upon, and we are excited to collaborate with Vivobarefoot on the new Ultra line.”
“This is a true revolution for the footwear industry with the first plant based alternative to the petro-foams in ubiquitous use,” said Galahad Clark, founder and MD at Vivobarefoot. “We are thrilled to be the first company to use Bloom in our shoes and further our mission to make the perfect shoe… perfect for feet and minimal impact on the planet.”
The Ultra shoe using Bloom technologies will be available for purchase in July 2017 on vivobarefoot.com.
Photo courtesy Vivobarefoot
