Denmark's Bestseller & Biophilica partner to make plant-based sneaker

19 Dec '22

2 min read

Pic: Bestseller

Danish clothing and accessories company Bestseller has announced a partnership with British innovator Biophilica, a company that has developed a plastic-free leather alternative, Treekind. This move comes in a bid to develop an alternative to leather shoes with the Treekind material. Bestseller’s menswear brand Jack & Jones will test the innovative material.

This new leather alternative is to be tested by Bestseller — and sneakers of the future might be plant-based, recyclable and suitable for composting.

Treekind, created by London based startup Biophilica, contains no plastic but is formulated with lignocellulose from leaves and a natural binder, which is designed to break down in soil or water. The ambition is to create a recyclable material that is also suitable for composting when the product reaches its end-of-life, Bestseller said in a press release.

“Leather processing has a high climate impact, but we must also make sure that the alternatives don’t just create another environmental problem such as high plastic content or reduced quality and durability,” said Camilla Skjonning Jorgensen, Bestseller's innovation manager.

“We are thrilled to be working with Bestseller and benefiting from their valuable expertise,” said Mira Nameth, CEO and founder of Biophilica. “Collaborative projects that combine development with manufacturing knowledge and methods are crucial for startups to be able to scale up and bring materials to market with brand partners”

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DP)

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