FRONT
SUSTAINABILITY
“ We decided to tackle the problem of ocean plastic trash and see if we could make something that could positively impact that with biodegradable plastics .”
— Stephen Mayfield
Sustainable Sneakers : Professor Stephen Mayfield holds the first biodegradable shoe .
A STEP UP UC San Diego scientists create the world ’ s first biodegradable shoe .
T hree UC San Diego professors have gained a foothold in the business of sustainable footwear . After six years of research and experimentation , Stephen Mayfield , a molecular biology professor at UC San Diego , along with partners Michael Burkart and Robert Pomeroy from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , have launched the world ’ s first biodegradable shoe through the company Blueview .
What began as a project to turn algae into fuel shifted into a quest to develop high-performance biodegradable polyurethane foams or shoe soles . Given that petroleum comes from algae — it ’ s just fossil algae oil — and plastics come from petroleum , the question became : Why
BY EMERSON DAMERON
not make plastics directly from algae oil ?
The group set out to make a shoe that was 100 % biodegradable , which required developing a 3D-knit sneaker upper constructed using material made entirely from plant fibers . When the shoes have outlived their usefulness , the polyurethane shoe soles , known as Soleic Foam , along with the knit uppers , will fully biodegrade in compost bins , soil or even in the ocean — a big improvement over rubber soles that stick around ( underground ) for centuries .
We spoke to Mayfield , who also serves as CEO of Blueview , about his inspiration and the importance of spreading sustainability through the business world .
1 . How has your work been informed by your experience as a surfer ? Almost every beach in the world , no matter how remote , is now covered with plastic trash . We decided to tackle the problem of ocean plastic trash and see if we could make something that could positively impact that with biodegradable plastics .
2 . What is your hope for the success of these shoes ? If we can make our shoes the top-selling shoes in the world , every single brand will switch to biodegradable materials . Think about the car companies switching to electric cars — they only made the change after Tesla looked like it might put them out of business .
3 . Do you have any advice for science-minded people who want to get involved with sustainability in the business world ? Sustainability must be the future of every business . If we don ’ t switch to sustainable products and practices , the future on this planet is not something any of us will want to experience .
Learn more about Blueview at blueviewfootwear . com
16 FALL 2022