What you're looking at
is a waterfall of harvested algae,
which is about to be turned into shoes.
And while we've seen plant-based shoes before,
most of them are casual shoes.
Making running shoes out of plants
is a little more challenging.
Most experiments can't withstand the impact.
But one company might've found a way
to create a plant-based shoe
that can stand up to running a marathon.
Running shoes come in
different shapes and forms,
but they generally share a few key characteristics.
They usually have a large heel,
a comfortable, snug fit,
are lightweight,
can withstand 150 to 300 miles,
and cost anywhere between $100 and $250.
And they're typically made entirely out of plastic.
Which is why shoe companies have been
experimenting with plastic alternatives.
One such company, Reebok,
decided to start with transforming its
top running shoe,
the Forever Floatride Energy.
Emily Mullins: We're doing our best to find
the balance between the right materials
that are great for the Earth
and the performance that will be upheld
so anyone can run in this shoe,
ultimately to run a marathon.
Narrator: Unfortunately, there aren't a lot
of plant-based materials that can live up
to the same performance and durability as plastic.
Corn couldn't hold up, and neither could mushrooms.
Mike Andrews: A lot of the considerations
that go into using these materials is that
they've never been used in footwear before.
They might not have the right melt strength
or the right modulus or elasticity
to be suitable for a performance product.
Narrator: But after a year of trial and error,
Reebok found the best combination of
sustainable materials for its running shoe.
The eucalyptus tree bark is refined
into a yarn to make the upper mesh of the shoe.
The algae is melted down to create the sock liner.
The castor beans are turned into an oil
to make the midsole.
And, lastly, the rubber is used
to make the outsole of the shoe.
Each of these shoes uses 60% less plastic
than a typical running shoe.
Andrews: A lot of testing went into
qualifying these materials
just to make sure that they'd,
No. 1, would work as a
performance-shoe material.
Narrator: There was dynamic impact testing,
which simulates 100 miles of running
to test for cushioning and responsiveness;
performance testing,
which simulates hundreds of miles
of walking in one week to test for
impact, abrasion, and flexion;
and sending the shoes out,
so people could test them while running
an average of 25 miles a week for six weeks.
But sustainability also comes with its challenges.
Andrews: There just aren't a lot of these
materials available.
And the materials that are available
are either really expensive
or they don't have
the physical properties that we need,
that our consumers expect
for a performance footwear.
Narrator: And at the end of this shoe's life cycle,
it'll still go straight to landfills.
So while this model doesn't solve all the problems...
Mullins: We're really just
taking the first couple of steps
to make as many products that are bio-based,
but it's dependent a lot on the materials
and how quickly we can get more materials,
how quickly they can scale.
Narrator: Reebok says it's planning
to adopt this practice
in its other shoe models in 2021.
Mullins: The more involvement
and time and energy that brands
put into sustainability efforts,
the more other companies and suppliers
will come into the fold.
So we're taking a good first step,
but we have a ways to go, and we know that.
Narrator: As more and more companies
work towards creating sustainable products,
who knows? Maybe one day you'll be running
in plant-based shoes without even knowing it.