A San Francisco-based footwear startup has launched a flip flop with a sustainable sole made from sugar cane. Shoe soles are typically made from petroleum-based EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) plastic foam – a highly polluting substance. But Allbird makes its Sugar Zeffers flip flops using a carbon neutral EVA, made from sugar cane grown densely in south Brazil with minimal fertiliser. Flip flops with sugar cane soles from eco shoe brand Allbirds The company has partnered with Brazilian petrochemical business Braskem, which modified its plant in Triunfo, to accommodate production of the plant-based resin. The production plants that process the sugar cane crop are run on renewable energy from sugar cane byproducts. The rest of the shoe is also made from sustainable products: recycled polyester and a soft microsuede that again uses sugar cane, for the straps. These are detachable so that wearers can mix and match styles rather than buy multiple pairs. Flip flops with sugar cane soles from eco shoe brand Allbirds Retired New Zealand football player Tim Brown teamed up with Silicon Valley engineer Joey Zwillinger to create the brand in 2016. Brown had struggled to find comfortable, sustainable shoes during his professional career. Allbirds began with […]
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