# Plant-Based Sneakers Reebok's Cotton + Corn Sneakers Can Be Composted After Use By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2017-04-05 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cotton-and-corn References: [vegnews](http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=9290&catId=1) & [reebok](http://www.reebok.com/cottoncorn) Reebok recently announced a sustainable product initiative called 'Cotton + Corn' that will introduce consumers to [plant-based footwear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/supernatural-runner) later on this year. The project from [Reebok Future](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hemp-club-c-revenge-and-beatnik-slide-for-fall) considers three key phases of a product's lifecycle, such as making the footwear out of "things that grow," delivering performance features and offering a way for the product to return to the earth after it has served its primary purpose—Reebok's plant-based Cotton + Corn shoes can be composted after use. Reebok has announced that the first shoe it will release as part of this initiative will have an upper of organic cotton and a base made from industrially grown, non-food corn. The use of these resources differs greatly from many of the [petroleum-based materials](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-ripple-shoe) used in many popular footwear styles today. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.9/10 - Popularity: 21% | Activity: 88% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Plant-based Footwear:** The trend of using plant-based materials for footwear can disrupt the traditional footwear industry by offering eco-friendly and sustainable options. - **Circular Fashion:** The trend of circular fashion can disrupt the footwear industry by introducing compostable shoes that can be returned to the earth after use, reducing environmental harm. - **Sustainable Product Lifecycle:** The trend of creating sustainable product lifecycle can disrupt the footwear industry by bringing a comprehensive approach to product design and innovation to reduce waste in the entire lifecycle of a product. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Footwear:** The footwear industry has the opportunity to explore the use of plant-based materials and circular fashion to meet the demand for sustainable and eco-friendly products. - **Fashion:** The fashion industry has the opportunity to integrate the principles of circularity and sustainability into product development and operations, including footwear. - **Agriculture:** The agriculture industry has the opportunity to explore innovative ways to grow plants, like non-food corn, that are suitable for use in sustainable footwear and other products. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Compostable Sole Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/swave-sport.md) - [Plastic-Free Compostable Sportswear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/organic-athletic.md) - [Textile-to-Textile Recycled Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/allbirds-remix.md) - [Eco Cactus Leather Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mercer-rerun-sneaker.md) - [Sustainable Running Shoe Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/supernatural-runner.md) - [Plant-Based Footwear Outsoles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/natural-rubber-outsoles.md) - [Petroleum Product-Free Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-ripple-shoe.md) - [Sustainable Open-Style Sneaker Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/keen-uneek-360.md) - [Sustainable Modular Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/modular-sneaker-1.md)