Discarded shoes are a particularly large form of waste, with their molded rubber soles often attached to synthetic uppers. However, Blueview shoes reportedly offer a more environmentally friendly alternative, as they claim to be completely biodegradable once thrown away.
Developed by UC San Diego's Algenesis, the Blueview shoe has an upper made of machine-woven hemp/eucalyptus yarn (plus a cotton canvas strap), and an interior and sole made of a proprietary polyurethane foam called Soleic.
The latter is manufactured using oil obtained from seaweed, rather than the more traditional petroleum.Algenesis has used this material in a pair of biodegradable slippers.
Blueview shoes - now in full production - are claimed to be comfortable and durable for everyday use.
Once they've worn out, they can't simply be thrown in the trash - at least, not if you want them to biodegrade. Instead, they must be placed in a compost bin or municipal composting facility, where they are exposed to air, moisture, and microorganisms that will break down the yarn, canvas, and Soleic.
According to Algenesis, third-party studies have shown that under industrial composting conditions, the uppers are fully biodegradable within a few months, while the soles do so in less than a year. If the shoes end up in the ocean, they should also be fully biodegradable, although it is not recommended that they be thrown into the ocean after use.
The Blueview shoe is currently only available in one style, the Pacific. It is available in black and "dune" colors.
While Algenesis claims it is the world's first biodegradable shoe, other companies have made the "fully biodegradable" claim before, including OATS, Puma and Reebok.
