Biotrainer Sole

After a lengthy design process, we developed our own 100% natural latex rubber sole made out of the milk of the Hevea Brasiliensis (rubber tree). Hevea tree plantations are ecological forests. After twenty years of harvest, the Hevea trees are recycled and replaced by young plants.

 

The milk is harvested by hand after four months of “winterizing” during which the Hevea trees are weakened by the loss of their foliage. Spiral incisions are made into the tree’s bark, releasing the milk without harming the tree. The harvest of 20 trees is required to produce just one pair of soles.

The milk is poured into steel molds immersed in warm water. After one hour, the sole is transferred into a cold-water immersion bath that lasts up to 24 and helps to keep the rubber pores open while the material cures. After 24 hours of drying, the soles are re-immersed in cold water for one week until they are trimmed and inspected for imperfections. This meticulous two-week process results in a light, naturally flexible, and 100% biodegradable sole that contains no plastic, the first of its kind in the market-place today.