Sports company PUMA is looking for 500 people in Germany to join brand ambassadors such as Cara Delevingne and Raphaël Varane to test the RE:SUEDE sneaker and become a part of the company’s experiment to see whether it can make a biodegradable version of its classic SUEDE.
With the RE:SUEDE project, PUMA has the ambition to set new standards of sustainability for the iconic SUEDE, as it tests whether the sneaker can biodegrade in the controlled setting of an industrial composting facility. In May, 500 participants will receive a pair of RE:SUEDEs to test. They are expected to wear the sneaker for six months and then send it back to PUMA. To thank them for their participation in the project, they will receive a new pair of RE:SUEDEs.
“We want participants to wear the RE:SUEDE as part of their daily routine,” said Stefan Seidel, PUMA’s Head of Corporate Sustainability. “That is how we can gather realistic feedback about the durability of the materials used in the sneaker.”
German residents looking to join the experiment can register on PUMA’s website by March 14. PUMA will then draw 500 people, who will receive the RE:SUEDE and wear it for half a year before sending it back to PUMA.
The returned RE:SUEDEs will be tested for biodegradability at an industrial composting facility operated by Dutch waste specialists Ortessa. PUMA will share the results of the RE:SUEDE experiment with its industry peers, to find better solutions for the waste management challenges the whole industry faces.
Even though the RE:SUEDE looks like its predecessor, which has been one of PUMA’s most iconic models since the 1960s, biodegradability has been the main focus of the RE:SUEDE program.
This is reflected in the choice of materials, such as Zeology tanned suede, biodegradable TPE and hemp fibres.
