Adidas introduces eco-friendly Stan Smith shoe

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Apr 18, 2021

Adidas revealed on Thursday a new eco-friendly Stan Smith shoe made from mushroom-based material innovation that looks and feels like leather. 

Dubbed the Stan Smith Mylo, named after the innovative material, it is made from renewable mycelium - the underground roots of mushrooms - and is created using a highly efficient grow process that takes less than two weeks.

“The introduction of Mylo as a new material is a major step forward in our bold ambition to help end plastic waste,” said Amy Jones Vaterlaus, global head of future at Adidas. 

“As a planet, we must learn to work with nature rather than against it and put all our efforts into finding innovative solutions that are created responsibly with resources that renew at a sustainable pace. designed in synergy with earth’s ecosystems. and as a brand, we continue to explore the possibilities in material innovation.” 

The new concept was made possible through a partnership with Bolt Threads, a biotechnology company committed to creating the next generation of advanced materials.

“By creating the iconic Stan Smith with a mylo material upper, adidas is demonstrating the far-reaching potential of this innovative material,” said Jamie Bainbridge, VP of product at Bolt Threads. 

“We are thrilled to be working with adidas in the kind of development partnership that makes innovation a reality. Mylo has the strength and performance it does today thanks to the guidance and deep technical expertise of the adidas team in making great footwear.”

Adidas said it chose its simple and classic Stan Smith as the first silhouette to be crafted from the game-changing material as it is one of its biggest and most iconic franchises, meaning it can scale the rollout of Mylo faster for more environmental impact. 

Adidas has previously dived into innovative materials, as part of a partnership with the Parley for the Oceans initiative. It launched Parley-branded shoes and clothes out of ocean plastic in 2020 and "Primeblue" fabric containing Parley marine waste in existing lines like its popular Ultraboost shoes.