Rheom expands into footwear with bio-based materials

Rheom Materials has expanded its footwear materials portfolio with Benree, a bio-based resin for hard shoe components, and Shorai Dura, a footwear-grade version of its leather alternative. The Houston-based biomaterials company said Benree has passed SATRA testing for high-heel applications with Australian footwear brand Bared Footwear, while Shorai Dura has been used to create two prototype shoes.

Benree is designed for injection-moulded components such as heel parts, toe puffs and heel counters. Rheom says the resin contains 100% bio-based content, is USDA Certified Biobased and delivers performance comparable with ABS plastic in the reported high-heel testing. The company also describes Benree as biodegradable under home-composting conditions, although the announcement did not provide the specific test methods, conditions or timeframe supporting that claim.

For footwear uppers, Shorai Dura is designed to provide greater durability and abrasion resistance than Rheom’s broader Shorai range. The company reported performance of up to 500,000 Bally Flex cycles and 70,000 Martindale abrasion revolutions, alongside testing for wet abrasion, colourfastness, tear propagation resistance and tensile strength.

A Los Angeles-based manufacturer has used the material in prototype athletic and skater shoes. Rheom said both materials are designed to integrate with existing footwear manufacturing processes, allowing brands to explore bio-based alternatives across multiple shoe components.