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SAY YES TO PLANT-BASED INSOLES

by | Oct 18, 2022 | Sustainability

Plant-based insoles provide all the comfort without the compromise.

INSITE EcoComfort® Insoles Don’t Compromise on Comfort, Performance, or Support

Accommodating a need to be sustainable (because what company wants to be behind the eight-ball on sustainability?) does not mean having to compromise on the quality of your insoles. Plant-based insoles provide optimal comfort, performance, and support, and actually offer some enhancements, too.  We know that switching to a plant-based solution can be met with some hesitation from footwear designers and developers. Delivering an insole that meets your customers’ needs is the most important thing, and throwing around the term “sustainable” and “plant-based” doesn’t always equal quality. Add on the additional pressure to meet budget constraints, and finding the right sustainable insole can be a challenge. That’s why it’s important to work with a company that’s just as invested in providing a quality product as yours is. INSITE EcoComfort foam insoles with up to 50% plant-based content are manufactured using sustainable practices. Your footwear brand gets the benefit of our planet-friendly approach to add to the sustainability value of your shoe line. 

How Can Using a Percentage of Plant-Based Content Still Produce a Quality Insole?

We’re glad you asked. The answer is that when plant-based materials are used as a component of PU foam insoles, what you get is a sustainable insole with exceptional comfort, performance, and support. PU foam already provides excellent breathability, cushion, and rebound. Our EcoComfort foams enhance it with a plant-based bio-propanediol (or bio-PDO) that replaces some of the main petrochemical ingredients in polyurethane. Our bio-PDO is not a filler or additive – it’s an integral part of the chemical reaction, making it a better-performing foam compared to other plant-based alternatives. Bio-PDO, made from industrial field corn using regenerative farming practices, creates a stronger blend of plant-based material, ultimately making the foam more comfortable and enhancing its performance.   Other benefits include greater tear strength, tensile strength, and elongation, all important features for greater comfort, performance, and support. In fact, thanks to these strength features, foams made with plant-based materials can be made lighter but with greater durability, ensuring they last for the shoe’s life.  

Benefits of Sustainable Practices Are Hard to Ignore

If your company is already engaging in sustainable practices, that’s great! But if not, or if there’s more that you could be doing, then partnering with a company that is committed to sustainability is a great way to increase your planet-forward activity. Not only are the insoles you’ll be using for your footwear line made with plant-based and sustainable materials, but the practices used to make those materials are also sustainable.  And what’s more, your adoption of sustainable insoles for your footwear line won’t have any impact on the quality of your shoes or how they perform for your customers. Using plant-based materials actually enhances the comfort, performance, and support of our insoles, and we have done rigorous testing and biomechanics research to back up these statements. Best of all, our EcoComfort foams won’t break the bank. INSITE EcoComfort foam with 11% plant-based content is a cost-neutral upgrade to petrol-based insoles for footwear brands looking to make the switch to sustainable materials. And our 25% blends are priced competitively to fit both your shoe and your budget. What’s better than an insole that’s built for the way people really move? That same insole made with plant-based content derived from regenerative farming practices.

Deliver a high-quality insole with the sustainability benefits your customers want.

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