Canadian footwear company SOLE has released a limited edition shoe that features a suite of natural, sustainable materials including the debut of a new substitute for petroleum-based foam midsoles.
SOLE’s highly anticipated Jasper Chukka is designed to replicate the cozy comfort of a puffy jacket, without the heavy reliance on petrochemical-based synthetics.
The shoe is the first ever to feature a midsole in the all-new ReCORK™ Recycled Cork. Made from post-consumer recycled wine corks, this innovative material replaces carbon-intensive foams with a lightweight, flexible, durable, cushioning alternative that’s also carbon negative — it removes more carbon from the atmosphere than it adds. The material is the result of fifteen years of development since SOLE launched ReCORK in 2008 to create a recycling stream for wine corks.
The Jasper Chukka boasts an array of other natural materials that combine with the striking cork midsole to create a shoe that’s as versatile as it is comfortable.
The shoe gets its classic ‘puffy jacket’ feel from its quilted upper that combines two high-performance natural fibers: Merino wool and up-cycled bison fur. Together these materials provide cozy comfort that’s temperature regulating, moisture wicking and antimicrobial.
Inside the shoe, a cushioning footbed in SOLE’s Signature Supportive Shape makes for a unique step-in experience with its combination of comfort and support. This insole is topped with natural cork fabric while the natural rubber outsole rounds off the sustainable material choices. The end result is a shoe that feels amazing on your feet, not despite the sustainable materials it’s made from, but because of them.
“For a long time innovation in footwear has focused only on comfort and performance, with sustainability being an afterthought. With the Jasper Chukka we set out to prove that all three can go hand-in-hand,” says SOLE and ReCORK Founder/CEO Mike Baker. “Sustainability doesn’t need to be your top priority to choose this shoe, once you feel it on your feet you’ll never want to take it off.”
The Jasper Chukka is available for pre-order now from yoursole.com.
