We're super excited to introduce you to our new innovative and eco-friendly insoles and outsoles featuring a bio-based foam that's gentle on the planet and comfortable for your feet – algae-based foam. Algae, in addition to the use of recycled plastic, allows us to produce real recycled shoes.
You've probably seen it before, probably even more in recent years. A slimy green, gooey layer of green algae floating on lakes, rivers and ponds? In addition to impacting the landscape and your summer swims, algal blooms are also toxic to biodiversity and are now considered a global environmental crisis.
Algae: innovation in our shoes
One of the means to fight against this scourge was developed by the engineers of the company Bloom Foam who understood that they could harvest these invasive algae in lakes and freshwater rivers and make a light, flexible and durable foam. - ideal for shoes. Not only does the algae foam eliminate harmful algae, but each pair of SAOLA shoes puts the equivalent of 240 bottles of filtered water back into natural habitats and prevents the equivalent of 13 large balloons of CO2 from being released into the environment. the atmosphere.
Alternatives based on recycling still little known
The outsoles were one of the most important challenges to solve for the development of our first collections. Today, there is simply no 100% recycled solution. We spent a lot of time looking for alternatives and it was when we discovered Bloom Foam that we thought there was an option to take a step in the right direction! In addition to recycling plastic bottles for our shoes , recycling algae for the soles helps reduce the impact of our products on the environment.
Durable and comfortable soles
We made our moulds, had prototypes made and we tested them. We wore them day and night (we admit, not great at night to sleep 😉). In the office. At concerts. On fairs. On a walk with the children and the dog. Finally…a bit everywhere!
And they held on! We've added rubber overlays to the contact points for added durability, and now we can proudly offer you an outsole/insole alternative that's durable and comfortable!
And yes, thank you algae!
