PUMA RE:SUEDES
PUT TO THE TEST

A few months ago, the Co-founders of sneaker recommerce company WEAR, Lorenzo van Galen and Pim Roggeveen, decided to put the PUMA RE:SUEDE sneakers to the test and see if they really are biodegradable. Recently, Lorenzo agreed to an interview to share some insights on the experiment as well as the future of circular footwear.  

Need some context? Watch the video HERE.

Your company WEAR decided to do a composting experiment on the PUMA RE:SUEDE shoes. Tell us a bit about yourself and WEAR.  

I’m Lorenzo, born and raised in Rotterdam. I’m 33 years old and I have a background in marketing and video directing. WEAR all started when Co-founder Pim and myself  wanted a service to clean our sneakers, so we went to the most famous sneaker store in Rotterdam. We asked them where we could clean our sneakers, and they didn’t have the answer. So, Pim and I had the idea of starting a company and adding our value. We wanted to create something that has lasting impact and that became the foundation of our company WEAR. The goal was to extend the lifespan of sneakers by sneaker cleaning and reducing carbon emissions and reducing fashion waste.  

How did you hear about our RE:SUEDE shoes? 

So actually, the Puma Suede popped up on our radar earlier this year. […] The last two years there have been some developments in sustainable footwear, like recommerce—brands selling their own second-hand products—or repair initiatives. Composting is another big focus, alongside innovations like Nike’s 3D-printed Air Max 1000. Made-to-order production, vegan alternatives—there are all these categories that keep popping up. The PUMA RE:SUEDE caught our attention this year because of the composting aspect. And when we looked into it, we found that this project actually started back in 2014. That’s a long time of testing and developing! […] We decided to create some content around it because it’s such a great story—one of the first examples of a self-composting shoe.  

Did the results of the RE:SUEDE composting experiment coincide with your expectations? 

Actually it surprised me because I actually had the expectations that nothing would happen. But actually yeah, the shoe did really compost! 

Even the outsole?  

No, there wasn’t anything going on with the outsole. I think that’s the most important part when shredding the product- is that the outsole gets shredded into smaller pieces so that the degrading gets accelerated. But they’re still in the composting bin so we’ll leave them and we’ll see. […] 

This was just a small experiment for fun, but the broader idea of biodegradable products is something the industry should explore further. It could change the entire lifecycle of footwear. 

It’s also great for inspiring other companies to adopt these materials and strategies. Hopefully, in a few years, this will become the norm, reshaping the industry. 

Absolutely. And it’s not just about biodegradable products—it’s about circularity as a whole. Things like recommerce and repair models encourage brands to rethink their design and production processes. If you’re selling a product multiple times instead of once, that changes the game. 

100%. And what do you think is the biggest challenge for sneaker brands trying to reach sustainability objectives?  

I think the biggest challenge is balancing the quality of materials with the upsides of being biodegradable, vegan, etc. 

For example, there are a lot of leather alternatives, like fruit leather, but there’s always this discussion between durability and sustainability. When I talk to cobblers, they often tell me they prefer a well-made leather shoe because it lasts. In some ways, leather can be more sustainable by being durable than certain vegan or alternative materials. 

Yes, that makes sense. 

The bottom line is that sustainability impact starts at the design phase. Brands need to think about creating products with multiple lifecycles in mind, so not only the “take-make-waste” model. Business models like recommerce, where products are designed to be reused or resold […] opens up a whole new perspective.  

Biodegradable materials are also an interesting topic to watch, but it’s still in its early stages. 

Absolutely. It’s not black and white—durability, performance, and sustainability are all factors that play into the decision-making process. Apart from the RE:SUEDEs have you experimented with other biodegradable footwear? 

So far, the PUMA RE:SUEDE is the only example on our radar. We haven’t seen a lot of biodegradable products from other brands yet. 

One other interesting innovation is Nike’s recently released 3D-printed shoe. It’s made to order, which makes it more because you start producing when the item is actually sold instead of producing in mass. So yeah, interesting development but no biodegradability is still not really a thing.
 

And in terms of the footwear industry’s future, what areas of improvement do you see to make it even more sustainable? 

Recommerce is a big thing, of course. […] Footwear is just very difficult due to issues like wear and hygiene, especially compared to clothing. Repairing or replacing parts of shoes, such as the outsole, is expensive and complicated and there are just so few examples that do it.  

Yes, it would be nice to see this more in the future of footwear. 

Yeah but I think repair would never work in Europe, or in the western world, because the labor’s just too expensive […]  and it’s just too hard to get a good margin on your product when repairing. Innovation in automated repair systems could help, but footwear is made of so many different materials- it’s not homogenous like cotton or clothing- so it’s hard to automate. 

That said, recommerce could be an interesting sustainable development for brands and I think also profitable.  

Right. It’s all about finding ways to make sustainability both impactful and financially viable. We noticed you also have a podcast. Could you tell me more about it?  

Yes, we do! In fact, I’m in the studio right now because we’re recording an episode later today. Every week, we interview entrepreneurs, designers, and other industry professionals, focusing on sustainability, new business models, and design. 

For example, today we’re talking to an entrepreneur working on sustainable e-commerce packaging here in the Netherlands. We cover a broad range of topics, not just footwear, but it always has something to do with sustainability and business.  

Very cool, we’ll be sure to check it out! One last question: Is there anything else you’d like to share about your company, WEAR, or the industry in general? 

We’ve been working on launching a new platform, called REFLAWN.COM. It’s a starting point for consumers looking for sustainable footwear, combining three categories: new sustainable products, recommerce, and second-hand items. 

We’re partnering with Sneakerjagers.com, a major sneaker search engine, to build this platform. It’ll include our own stock, affiliate partnerships, and storytelling marketing. We’re set to launch the first version by the end of next week (*The platform is now available and was not yet at the time of the interview), and we hope to become the leading voice for sustainable footwear, all releases and different topics. 

Thank you for this insightful interview, Lorenzo! Be sure to check out wear-store.nl and their new platform REFLAWN.COM. 

There’s only one Forever. Let’s make it Better.