Adidas has launched a new sneaker from Stan Smith, the first of its kind to be made with a mushroom-based material. The German shoemaker announced the release on their website and introduced "Mylo," a material made from mycelium, a substance found in the roots of mushrooms.
"Today we are revealing Stan Smith Mylo, the first shoe to be made using Mylo: a new mushroom-based material innovation that looks and feels like leather- soft, supple, but a more renewable alternative," Adidas said on its website.
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The sneaker was made possible in collaboration with biotechnology company Bolt Threads, a firm that develops plant-based materials to make vegan alternatives for its traditionally leather-based shoes.
According to Jamie Bainbridge, the vice president of product development at Bolt Threads, Mylo is developed from mycelium, the underground roots of mushrooms to create a foamy mat that can then be finished in different patterns, textures, colours and transform into a flexible and breathable fabric that feels remarkably similar to animal leather.
The Stan Smith Mylo shoes features a natural rubber mid-sole, while the body of the sneaker is made from the mushroom leather. Grown in the lab to replicate the forest floor, Adidas says the mushrooms for the Mylo material are grown in vertical configurations and that the materials are ready to be harvested for leather as little as two weeks.
While traditional alternatives like polyurethane (PU) and polyvinal chloride (PVC) are produced from plastic polymers which do not degrade, Adidas and Bolt Threads looked for a natural alternative to reduce plastic waste and then came the Mylo sneaker.
Early this year, Adidas used 50% recycled materials to release a version of the brand's classic Stan Smith shoes called Stan Smith PRIMEGREEN.
Adidas did not say much the shoes will cost.