Jason Momoa’s new Vegan sneaker made of algae
The Game of Thrones and Aquaman actor has the last years used his status as a celebrity to bring awareness to climate and environmental issues; in 2019 he shaved off his beard (for the first time since 2012) to bring awareness to global plastic pollution. Now he have reached a new level; together with the climbing apparel brand So iLL he has lanuched two new sneakers that are sustainable and vegan.
The canvas upper material is made from organic cotton, the insole is 30% made of BLOOM Resin from the company BLOOM Foam, with top layer of cork, and a rubber outsole mixed with Eco Pure that helps cut down on decomposition time in a landfill. BLOOM technology removes algal blooms to reduce water pollution, create sustainable materials, generate clean water, and maintain healthy ecosystems.
The sneakers are called Unity Purple and Yaya Lavender Roamers and some mean that the colours are inspired by the ocean. A suitable name for Aquaman.
A Sustainable Closet has tried to dig a little bit deeper into what organic cotton means in this case and we haven’t found any certification or label, and for those of you who have been following us for a while, knows that there’s a difference between organic cotton and organic cotton. We would also like to know more about the 70% of the insole not being algae. Further, the source of the cork and rubber is not stated. Even if you have a product that are made of some materials being better than others, it’s still hard to say whatever this shoe is sustainable or not. There’s also a question of transparency where does the cotton, rubber and cork come from?
However, despite our criticism on areas where we as consumer would have liked to know more, it is promising to see more of these products going vegan (for the care of animals) and using materials that are less climate, water and resource intense in general. So don’t get us wrong, we are positive, but will always ask the relevant questions and push for a change. Because we can to better!