RESEARCH & INNOVATION
FLIP-FLOP OF THE FUTURE
Could sustainable soles save the world ?
BY KIM MCDONALD
YOU WOULDN ’ T THINK that something as humble as a flip-flop could actually change the planet , but numbers don ’ t lie — each year , three billion petroleum-based flip-flops are produced worldwide , eventually ending up as nonbiodegradable trash in landfills , rivers and oceans around the globe .
That ’ s why professors Steve Mayfield and Skip Pomeroy , the team that created the world ’ s first algae surfboard , have turned their photosynthetic phenomenon to the world of footwear .
“ A flip-flop is the number one shoe in the world ,” says Mayfield , “ the shoes of a fisherman and a farmer . This is the number one shoe in India , China and Africa , and in fact , one of the largest pollutants in the ocean is polyurethane from flip-flops and other shoes . So when you really look at the numbers , you realize that making a flip-flop or shoe sole like this is much more important .”
After perfecting the process of turning algae oil into a rigid foam surfboard , the team set sights on achieving a flexible foam that could become a shoe sole . Working with students in their York Hall lab , they adapted the chemistry to produce molded foam of varied degrees of rigidity — softer for the footpad and harder for the walking surface .
The result is Triton Soles , a flexible yet durable flip-flop adorned with a trident logo and a simple strap . It ' s fairly basic as flip-flops go , yet the team ’ s ambition for the product , as well as its educational opportunities , is vast . Mayfield , Pomeroy and fellow professor Michael Burkart plan to scale their algae innovations through a startup company , Algenesis Materials , which employs some of their lab students and provides them with the opportunity to experience what Pomeroy calls “ project-based learning .”
“ Teaching chemistry in the classroom is sometimes like trying to teach soccer at the chalkboard ,” Pomeroy explains . “ In the laboratory and in industry ,
10 TRITON | WINTER 2018