2 Major Myths about Eco-friendly Shoe Products

Many shoes on the market that are advertised as "eco-friendly", and one of the major features is that the sole will decompose on its own when not worn in a period of time or not maintained properly. Unfortunately, not only will this function cause more problems to the environment, but also become the source of unnecessary purchases. So what exactly is eco-friendly? Let’s take a look and break the myths.

What are eco-friendly shoes? Outsole v.s. Sustainable material

2 main eco-friendly shoe categories: PU outsole and sustainably made as a whole. What’s the difference between them?

Therefore, if you want to buy products that are actually environmentally friendly, we recommend that you choose products that are made with natural or recycled materials.

2 Biggest myths about sustainable products

PU outsole is known to be disintegratable, but it also created a few stereotypes about sustainable shoes. Are they facts or misconceptions?

1. Are biodegradable products sustainable?

Many shoe brands claim to produce sustainable shoes that are made with PU outsoles.  If the PU material has not been used for a long time, coupled with the intrusion of moisture, it will easily fall apart into debris by itself, giving the public the impression of "self-decomposable = eco-friendly". However, if the fallen fragments aren’t processed correctly, it’ll become a source of pollution.

2. Are sustainable shoes insubstantial?

PU materials can easily be deteriorated, and that creates a stereotype that sustainable shoes are insubstantial. On the other hand, natural rubber gives the shoes resilience and is more sustainable. Sustainable material doesn’t make the product less enduring. 

3 Main Features of inooknit’s Sustainable Products

1. Resilient Natural Rubber Outsole

Outsoles made with natural rubber have high elasticity and wear resistance with the design of quarry stone patterns added to enhance the anti-slip effect. The insole is made of recyclable shock-absorbing PU+ memory foam, and is thicker which is not only soft to the touch, comfortable, and elastic, but also provides sufficient support for the feet.

2. Sustainable Materials + Digital Knitting Technology

Materials used to produce inooknit shoes are eco-friendly, not only the outsole but the shoe as a whole. Recycled materials used such as recycled yarn and wood yarn. In addition, the use of digital knitting technology that is different from the traditional cutting method can effectively reduce the marginal waste generated in the production process and avoid a waste of resources.

3. Simple Maintenance

inooknit shoes are designed with removable insoles, allowing consumers to easily take it out and clean it. Because the shoe is digital knitted, it can be washed directly with water and dried in a ventilated place. The maintenance method is extremely simple.

3 Steps to Sustainable Shoe Care

inooknit shoe care is poles apart from the regular sustainable shoe care. inooknit shoe doesn’t disintegrate easily, and they’re washing-machine-safe. 

You only need these 3 steps to take care of them.

The only thing is that if you want to use machine washing, it is recommended to wash it once a month to avoid knitting structure alteration due to over-washing.