On Cyclon - The shoes you can’t own!

On is set to release a new running shoe this Fall that is made from castor beans and closes the loop

Almost all of the footwear industry has been built on a traditional take-make-dispose system, in which raw materials like leather and rubbers are extracted, then transformed into shoes through energy and labor and finally used and discarded as waste at the end of their life. This so-called linear economy has become one of the most important topics of discussion when it comes to building a sustainable economy for the future. Experts warn about the wasteful character of this model, economic risks and more global imbalances that will likely be caused by continuing business as usual (MacArthur, 2013). To solve these problems, the concept of a circular economy has gained a lot of traction in recent years. In this economy, resources are cycled and looped back into the system to be reused after a product has served its purpose with the initial user. Several companies have started to develop products that would fit the circular economy. One of those is Swiss performance running brand On.

On Cyclon

In an effort to revolutionize the running footwear industry, On is set to release their Cyclon running shoe this Fall. The sneaker is fully designed with the circular economy in mind and is fully recyclable at end of use. The entire shoe is made from recyclable, bio-based materials. The upper is dye-free and made from a single cut of fabric, forming a durable, lightweight knit upper, engineered for flexibility, stability and breathability.

The magic ingredient for this shoe is castor beans. Yes, beans! The beans are grown in very dry areas, where nothing else can grow, to make sure it does not compete with the food chain. The beans are then harvested and pressed into oil. The oil made in this process is what replaces the fossil fuels in the production process of the shoe. In a chemical process, the oil is synthesized and polymerized. The result is two polyamides that can be recycled together: PEBAX (for the sole) and RILSAN (for the upper and speed board).

With the materials being bio-based, the product can decrease the emission of CO2 as the emission during the process is first captured during the growth of the beans. Furthermore, resource depletion is decreased as we do not need to use fossil fuels anymore. On highlights the fact that plastics were originally introduced to the world as a more sustainable and ethical alternative to ivory and other animal derived materials. On stresses, however, that we should go back to those early days of plastics, which were all bio-based instead of the synthetic ones that eventually took over. 

Circular Business Model

When you want to innovate the way we consume footwear, you also have to think about the system that needs to be in place to process the shoes when people no longer use them. On is now trying to set up a program where you can get access to the shoes for a monthly fee of $30. When you no longer use the shoes and want new ones, you simply send back your old ones and you will receive a new pair. On will take care of the old ones and recycle them to use in the production of new shoes. Such a business model is an essential step to truly close the circle in footwear and keep companies accountable for the products they put into the world, even after they are sold. 

The main goal of On Cyclon is to increase and show the demand for bio-based plastics in order to increase production volumes and decrease prices, to make it more accessible in the future. The shoes are set to release this Fall and you can head over to their website to pre-register now.