Sneaker Convos and Shroom Sneakers
It's Earth Month! Let's get greener.
Hi friends and strangers,
After a not-totally planned - albeit necessary break - I’m back! It’s been a wild few months - I moved into my own apartment, had to apply (and be approved for) a visa, scaled up some work projects, decided to become obsessive about upcycling DIY home furniture - and even adopted a dog! It’s given me time to figure out what I really want to focus on, and like so many people - I went through a few periods of pandemic burnout. The Cut’s podcast episode on burnout made me feel very seen in that often all of my hobbies and side projects are work focussed - which is not sustainable or healthy. I am not good at “relaxing”. That probably isn’t breaking news to you - but it’s a lesson that I’ve been really trying to learn lately.
One of the projects I had a chance to take part in during my newsletter and podcast absence is Sneaker Convos, a virtual live conversation series. Founded by serial entrepreneur Nick Engvall of Sneaker History, the first annual sneaker convos had a wide range of discussion topics like branding, DIY, mental health, and live podcasts. I had the pleasure of hosting and booking guests for the “Ending the Recycled Sustainability Buzzword”. We had an amazing hour-long chat about topics that concern the sustainable sneaker world like upcycling, solving the waste issue, transparency, biodegradable materials, and more. For the panel I was joined by a great, diverse group of individuals in the space: Chloe Songer, co-founder of Thousand Fell, Jeremy Green, founder of Calling All Creators, Olivier Mouzon, Sustainability Manager at Salomon Footwear, and Tim Gibb, co-founder of Tidal New York. I’ll work on making it available as a podcast soon but for now, you can watch it on YouTube.
Doing this panel made me remember how much I love having people on the podcast to nerd out about topics like footwear sustainability and that I get both joy and esteem from creating content in this niche. So, not to worry - content will be created - and hopefully, an assistant will be hired so I can keep up with output and not completely exhaust myself (again).
Stan Smith Gets Shroomed
I’ve dived into the world of mushroom materials in a previous newsletter - like the leather-like substance made from mycelium. But now a sneaker made from mycelium is finally almost here. Adidas unveiled the Stan Smith Mylo - a soft, renewable leather-like sneaker. It’s made from Mylo - which is engineered and created by Bolt Threads - one of two big players in the mushroom leather game. The other big competitor is Mycoworks who is making a partially mycelium bag with Hermes, the Sylvania, which will likely be available at the end of 2021.
As per the adidas press release, “The outer upper, perforated 3 stripes, heel tab overlay, and premium branding are made with Mylo. The midsole of the shoe is made with natural rubber.” What’s interesting is that Mylo can take any kind of finish, color, or gloss - but for the initial launch, adidas chose to go “au natural” using an off-white upper as a nod to the Stan Smith history. Y’all know how I feel about another white and natural rubber sneaker to signal “earth-friendly” - but it looks cute all things considered.
The process photos are very cool, really highlighting the biotechnology and emphasizing their movement away from plastic waste. Unfortunately, there isn’t a release date or retail price set for the Stan Smith Mylo. Keep in mind, it’s a groundbreaking sneaker in that it’s the first sneaker upper to be made with the material and will likely be the first to go to mass market once it gets out of its concept stage. It’ll be really interesting to see how consumers react and how much adi leans into the renewable, mushroom storytelling and how much that affects sales. Would you wear mycelium sneakers? I definitely would but I’m interested to know what the other components of the sneaker are made from.
Extra credit:
You may know that April is earth month and to it celebrate Ace of Air - a circular beauty and wellness brand - asked me #howdoyoucircle? I try to be mindful of circling - think “take-make-waste” - whenever possible but lately, it’s been a major focus in setting up my new apartment.
Three of the ways I circle are:
♻️ Deconstructing large items like furniture and mattress to upcycle, recycle and compose instead of tossing them in the trash.
♻️ Sourcing deadstock and recycled materials for projects.
♻️ Replacing traditional single-use items like paper towels and cotton rounds with reusable versions that are biodegradable.
Ace of Air supports the UN sustainable development #globalgoals #12, 14, and 15 - which involve responsible production and consumption as well as conserving life below and above water.
As an #AceofAirPartner, I know that we’re better together and teamwork is essential for supporting a more sustainable planet - I’m challenging all of you to show us #howdoyourcircle!
Thanks for taking the time to read, listen and/or watch! You can submit a voice message to the podcast here or leave a comment on the Substack post if you want to get into what we discussed on Sneaker Convos or have some thoughts on mushroom leather! Here’s a bonus pic of my new dog Tigris, who I adopted from Animal Lighthouse Rescue this past Sunday. She’s originally a stray from Puerto Rico, but super well mannered, chill, and is fully grown at 30lbs - she’s just petite and looks young (we have a lot in common).
Stay safe and stay true,
Megan
@shegotgame
PS. Be sure to follow along on Twitter and Instagram for more and check out my website at MeganAnnWilson.com.