Rheom Materials has expanded into footwear with two bio-based materials.
The first, Benree, is a bio-based hard plastic for shoe components. It has passed SATRA testing for high heel applications, carried out with Australian brand Bared Footwear. The material is 100% USDA Certified Biobased. Rheom says it performs comparably to ABS plastic and biodegrades under home composting conditions.
Bared’s head of sustainability, Millie Richards, said the brand is working to remove plastic from its shoes without compromising quality. She said samples and testing showed Rheom addressing both goals. Bared would like to use the material in its shoes.
Rheom is also looking at other uses for Benree. These include internal components such as toe puffs and heel counters.
The second material is Shorai Dura, a biobased leather alternative for shoe uppers. Rheom’s scientists engineered it to meet footwear durability and abrasion specs. The company points to strong molecular bonding within the material matrix.
Test results include 500,000 Bally Flex cycles and 70,000 Martindale abrasion revolutions. Rheom also reports strong results for wet abrasion, color fastness, tear propagation resistance and tensile strength.
To test the material in practice, Rheom asked a Los Angeles footwear manufacturer to build two prototypes. One is an athletic sneaker. The other is a textured skater shoe. Both use Shorai Dura uppers.
Founder and CEO Zimri T. Hinshaw said a shoe is a system of parts, so swapping a single material rarely makes a difference. Rheom aims to give brands a range of biobased materials so they can change the whole system.
