REI Co-op stocks some of the best outdoor footwear from the market’s leading brands. Next year, however, the retail giant will deliver shoes of its own.
Speaking with FN, the company confirmed that REI-branded models will debut in April. The retailer is billing its range as “footwear with a lighter footprint.”
REI Co-op Brands footwear product manager Bennett Grimes labeled the initial styles as “some of the most sustainable footwear available” and explained that aside from environmental impact, the retailer is focused on delivering versatile product.
REI will launch with three styles: Traverse, Flash and Beyonder. The looks will all make use of the same sustainability-driven proprietary technologies.
FirmaKnit, for instance, is the retailer’s upper material, which is 99% composed of recycled plastic bottles. Waterproofing will be provided by its HydroWall tech, the midsoles are made with TerraLoft (a compound developed with sustainable design company Bloom), the outsoles utilize REI’s anti-slip TerraGrip rubber and the insoles will feature its TrailBed tech.