WHAT:
PLIANT™ is Natural Fibre Welding’s revolutionary, USDA Certified, 100% bio-based rubber alternative. It is made from natural rubber sourced from the Hevea tree.
WHY IT MATTERS:
Rubber itself is a great natural material, but the additives used to make it durable enough for footwear are commonly petroleum based. This means most rubber soles shed microplastics during wear and can be harmful to the environment at end of life.
Today, around 70% of rubber on the market is synthetic, made from fossil fuels and cured with petrochemicals.
In a technological leap, NFW has developed a plant-based curative that removes petrochemicals from the process while maintaining the quality, durability and look we expect from rubber.
This means our PLIANT™ outsoles are both recyclable and circular – they can safely return to the earth at end of life.
These soles are now used in 60% of our shoes, and we are working hard to reach 100%. For us, this is not a capsule collection or a simple eco claim. It is real change, toward a future where shoes tread lighter on the planet.
You can view NFW’s credentials here.
WHERE WE ARE HEADING:
We are proud to support NFW and their mission to create sustainable alternatives to plastic through their groundbreaking material innovations. We are working on incorporating PLIANT™ across our whole range.
USED IN:
This outsole will be rolled out across our women’s range throughout 2024.
