Nike Launches Sneakers Made of Vegan Pineapple Leather
The design features Piñatex, a textured pineapple leather made from the by-product of pineapple harvests.
Credit: Nike
Nike is the latest in a growing list of brands embracing innovative, animal-free alternatives to leather. Their new, plant-based sneaker line, aptly coined the ‘Happy Pineapple Collection’, uses new generation Piñatex, a sustainable, vegan leather derived from pineapple leaves.
Outfitted with juicy hues and an embroidered pineapple, the collection features five different sneakers; the Free Run Trail Premium, the Air Max 90, the Air Max 95, Air Force One and the Air-Zoom Type. Prices for the new collection start at $160.
“This summer just got sweeter. Nike combines its innovative silhouettes with juicy hues and clever details that pay homage to a summer staple – the pineapple, “said Piñatex on social media. “Piñatex was used on the brand’s iconic models in key areas of the shoe along with other sustainable materials such as cork.”
The footwear industry in particular has embraced vegan leather alternatives, with brands like Adidas, Lulemon, and Stella McCartney exploring designs that use animal-friendly textiles like mushroom-based leather.
And it’s not just the fashion industry ditching leather - even the car industry is embracing future-fabrics too. Earlier this year, iconic car company MINI announced that it will replace leather with inventive, recycled materials like cork for its future car interiors.
With the leather industry estimated to slaughter around 1 billion animals for their skins every year, these industry changes are positive news for animals.
What is Piñatex?
Developed in 2016 by Spanish designer Dr. Carmen Hijosa, Piñatex is a watertight, hardwearing alternative to animal-derived leather. It is 100% eco-friendly and sourced from the leftover leaves from the pineapple harvest, where long fibers that are extracted, washed, sun dried, and made into piñafelt. This material is then coloured using pigments and coated to produce the final product.
Rather than burning 825 tons of waste leaves from the pineapple harvest last year, Piñatex saved 264 CO2 eq tons from being released into the atmosphere.This is equivalent to charging more than 33 million smartphones.
With 1000 brands such as H&M, Huge Boss - and now Nike - including pineapple leather in their collections, the material is a popular plant-based leather being widely embraced by designers.
Learn more about the future of leather with our guide: “Ten Stylish Alternatives to Leather”.
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