Shoes are predominantly made of synthetic materials. We judge that modern shoes can be anywhere from 50-100% plastic—with most closer to 100% side of the spectrum. Bared’s goal is to transition to 100% biobased materials for every part of their shoes: outsoles, insoles, midsoles, adhesives, sewing thread, textiles, and leather. There are a lot of parts to a shoe. It’s no easy feat.

We started working with Bared in 2022 when they reached out in their search for biobased materials. In 2023, Bared launched a collection of shoes with MIRUM® uppers, and they debuted their PLIANT™ collection at the beginning of 2024.

What’s most exciting is that these are not one-off capsule collections. As the Bared team writes, “Soon our entire footwear range will feature PLIANT™ outsoles.” Independent, nimble brands like Bared take bold steps and challenge the entire industry to catch up. That’s one of the many reasons we love working with them.

And it’s because of brands like Bared—brands with the ambition to design out synthetics entirely—that we take a platform approach to material innovation.

We leverage our material tech not just to make a gorgeous (our words) plastic-free leather alternative, but also outsoles and foams and textiles—providing brand partners with as many solutions as we can. Being able to source multiple materials from NFW reduces the risks and costs for brands introducing new technologies into their supply chain.

And we’re excited to continue expanding the scope of our collaboration with Bared. Their ultimate goal is “to create footwear that comes from nature and at the end of life can return to the Earth.” It’s like they read our mind.