adidas unveils the stan smith mylo made with mushroom-grown leather

adidas has rendered its iconic stan smith silhouette in mylo — a new mushroom-based material innovation that looks and feels like leather. made from renewable mycelium, the underground roots of mushroom, mylo is created using a highly efficient grow taking less than two weeks. the process takes advantage of a cutting-edge vertical agriculture technique, allowing the mycelium to be grown in a space-efficient system that increases the yield per square foot.

images by adidas

‘the introduction of mylo as a new material is a major step forward in our bold ambition to help end plastic waste,’ said amy jones vaterlaus, global head of future at adidas. ‘as a planet, we must learn to work with nature rather than against it and put all our efforts into finding innovative solutions that are created responsibly with resources that renew at a sustainable pace. designed in synergy with earth’s ecosystems. and as a brand, we continue to explore the possibilities in material innovation.’

the adidas stan smith mylo was created in partnership with bolt threads and continues with adidas’ commitment to a more sustainable future. on the shoe, the outer upped, perforate 3 stripes, heel tab overlay and premium branding are made with mylo. the midsole remains in natural rubber.

‘by creating the iconic stan smith with a mylo material upper, adidas is demonstrating the far-reaching potential of this innovative material,’ said jamie bainbridge, VP of product at bolt threads. ‘we are thrilled to be working with adidas in the kind of development partnership that makes innovation a reality. mylo has the strength and performance it does today thanks to the guidance and deep technical expertise of the adidas team in making great footwear.’

project info:

name: stan smith mylo

created by: adidas

in partnership with: bolt threads

made with: mycelium mushroom