40 Sustainable Footwear Innovations

These sustainable footwear innovations range from hay-based sneakers to biodegradable vegan stilettos. While adidas has recently made waves with its Parley ocean plastic initiative -- showcased with its new AM4LA sneaker release which features ocean plastic yarns -- nat-2's low-top sneakers feature an upper that consists of recycled hay. Additionally, examples like Berlin-based artist Magdalena Woodmann's shoe creations are crafted using found objects like wooden furniture parts which are broken down to create heels and couch upholstery which is recycled to create a fabric upper.

Other sustainable footwear innovations to note include Rothy's range of comfortable and chic flats which are crafted out of recycled plastic bottles along with Explicit Wear and Iamsterdam's 'Gumshoe' design which was launched in collaboration with environmental firm Gumdrop. Playing off the company's name, the shoes appropriately consist of recycled chewing gum.