Sustainable Kicks: The New Adidas Stan Smiths Are Made With Mushroom Leather

Just a few weeks after Stella McCartney introduced garments made from Mylo, a new vegan and sustainable leather alternative, Adidas has followed suit and released a pair of their iconic Stan Smiths made from the same material. 

If you haven’t heard about the ground-breaking invention of Mylo, here’s a quick recap: developed by biotech firm Bolt Threads, Mylo is an entirely biodegradable vegan leather that’s made from the vegetative part of a fungus. 

The new Stan Smith Mylo shoes will feature a brown rubber midsole, while the upper will be made from Mylo. Instead of the usual titanium white leather found on most Stan Smith shoes, the Mylo version presents a warm, cream-hued body instead.

The shoe giant’s Stan Smith range has long been one of Adidas’s most popular sneakers. First launched in 1965, the shoe has almost always been made with a white leather upper, laces and a minimalistic clean design. In recent years, the shoe has been more widely promoted and worn as a lifestyle shoe rather than its original tennis shoe purposes. 

“The introduction of Mylo as a new material is a major step forward in our bold ambition to help end plastic waste,” said Amy Johns Vaterlaus, Adidas’s Global Head of Future. “[The Stan Smith Mylos were] designed in synergy with Earth’s ecosystems. As a brand, we continue to explore the possibilities in material innovation." 

While there’s no set date on when the shoe will be released to the public, you can learn more about the Stan Smith Mylo and see the design journal at adidas.com/StanSmithMylo