PUMA Breaks New Ground in Sustainable Footwear

Published: 16 August, 2011

FootwearPUMA Introduces A Recycled Suede in the ‘Clever Little Bag’ HERZOGENAURACH, GERMANY (September 2011) -- Sportlifestyle company PUMA introduces PUMA Re-Suede. PUMA took one of the Brand’s most well known and iconic shoes, the Suede, and re-tooled each component with the highest degree of recycled materials, delivering sustainable style through an unforgettable classic look.

An icon of culture, the original PUMA Suede was a 70’s statement shoe within the Beat-Boy community, an 80’s Hip-Hop must have and ever present in the alternative music scene of the early 1990’s. Famous for its bright colours, plush suede material, and custom fat lacing techniques, the PUMA Suede now stands for one more thing…sustainability.

“PUMA’s mission is to become the most desirable and sustainable sportlifestyle company and the new PUMA Re-Suede is the first of many product innovations that will help us accomplish this,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and CEO of PUMA. “Part of PUMA’s 2015 sustainability goals is for 50% of PUMA’s international collections to be manufactured using sustainable materials. It began with the Clever Little Bag, launched in April 2010, which renders the common shoebox obsolete and helps reduce paper use by 65% and carbon emissions by 10,000 tons per year. Now we have our first sustainable shoe to keep the momentum going.”

The PUMA Re-Suede has been developed using the latest materials and processes in eco-friendly product innovation continuing its legacy of distinct style, attitude and innovation. Every aspect of the shoes has been designed with environmental impact in mind including the upper, sockliner, laces and sublining which are all made from 100% recycled materials and an innovative new outsole material.

The synthetic ultra suede upper material is created by Toray, leaders in the development of environmentally responsible materials. The synthetic suede is comprised of 100% recycled polyester fibers, produced by a chemical recycling process that reduces both the energy consumption and the CO2 emission by 80% compared to the production of virgin materials. The recycled polyester is scrap waste from manufacturing processes that is repurposed to create the synthetic material.

The PUMA Re-Suede retains the look and feel of the original Suede but is made for the environmentally conscious consumer. The outsole is made from Double R Rice Rubber, which replaces a portion of the rubber content with a rice husk filler, a natural bi-product of the food industry, reducing the amount of overall rubber needed saving considerable fossil fuel energy in manufacturing and agricultural resources, making it PUMA’s most sustainable shoe yet. The new PUMA Re-Suede is incredibly light weight, (140g/5.2oz less than the original) thereby reducing the fossil fuels needed in transport, saving fifteen tons of carbon emissions for every ten thousand pairs shipped.

The Re-Suede will be sold in PUMA’s Clever Little Bag, a cutting-edge innovation in sustainable packaging that replaces traditional shoeboxes beginning in September 2011. For more information, please visit: www.puma.com/cleverlittlebag.

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