Yesterday, Reebok revealed a new innovation in sustainable footwear as the brand unveils the Forever Floatride GROW, a plant-based performance shoe that rivals the best performance running sneakers on the market.
The plant-based running shoe, which will launch in Fall 2020, is an updated version of Reebok’s award-winning Forever Floatride Energy running shoe. The most significant sustainability advancement is the highly cushioned, responsive midsole, which is built from sustainably grown castor beans and maintains the high performance and lightweight cushioning standard of the original Forever Floatride Energy. Additional materials include a eucalyptus tree upper, sockliner utilizing BLOOM algae foam, and a natural rubber outsole.
The Forever Floatride GROW is the latest example of Reebok’s commitment to reduce the use of petroleum-based plastics in footwear by making products with plants, and builds on the brand’s successful Cotton + Corn lifestyle collection of footwear.
“With Forever Floatride GROW, we’re replacing oil-based plastic with plants, ” said Bill McInnis, Vice President, Reebok Future. “The biggest challenge in making a shoe like this was developing plant-based materials that could meet the high performance needs of runners. During the three years we spent developing this product, we heard loud and clear that the idea of a plant-based running shoe resonates strongly with serious runners. But those same runners felt just as emphatically that they would never compromise on performance. The Forever Floatride GROW is the result. Plant-based performance – with no compromise.”