UK-Based Vivobarefoot Opts For Mushroom-Based Fabric In Its Latest Shoe

Vivobarefoot’s new Gobi sneaker for women is made with 98% natural materials including a … More mushroom-based fabric
Vivobarefoots

London-based Vivobarefoot is making shoes with mushrooms. On a quest to find a plastic alternative to vegan shoes, the UK-based barefoot shoe company launched a new vegan sneaker, the Gobi, which is made with mycelium-based materials.

“We’ve always wanted to have a vegan product that’s not made from plastic, but it’s incredibly hard to find something that’s both natural and durable enough for footwear,” says Charlotte Pumford, Director of Sustainability at Vivobarefoot.

The solution came through a partnership with HyphaLite™ an innovator in mycelium-based materials. “Mycelium is the root structure of mushrooms, and it’s incredibly versatile,” she says. “By combining it with natural latex and cellulose, we’ve created a composite that looks and feels like leather, but is completely animal-free and mostly bio-based.”

This breakthrough didn’t happen overnight. “We went through dozens of prototypes. Early versions would tear after just a few days, or they’d soak up water like a sponge. It took a lot of trial and error to get to something that could actually be worn every day.”

A big challenge for Vivo has been not just to create eco-friendly footwear, but also to ensure that it lasts. “If a shoe falls apart after a few weeks, it doesn’t matter how sustainable the materials are. It has to last.” The Gobi’s mycelium canvas is not only robust but also repairable, aligning with Vivobarefoot’s philosophy that “the most sustainable product is the one you can keep using.”

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Repair and reuse are a growing part of the brand’s efforts to keep shoes in use through its Revivo platform. “One of the most sustainable aspects of footwear is how long it can stay on people’s feet, how long you can utilize it. Making sure that you’re able to repair and prolong the life of the wear before it gets to biodegradability or compostability is also really important,” she adds.

Despite these strides in using more natural materials, Pumford is candid about the complexities of creating truly biodegradable shoes. “There’s no standardized test for biodegradability in footwear. We’re working with external labs and organizations to develop protocols, but it’s a long process. Even if every component is natural, the way they interact can change how the shoe breaks down.”

“We’re seeing promising results in lab tests, but we don’t want to overpromise. Our goal is to be transparent about what we know and what we’re still figuring out.”

While the vegan-certified shoe is 98% natural, there is still 2% left to address, says Pumford. “And, you know, even when we hit 100%, it doesn’t mean that it’s biodegradable at that point—it just means we have 100% fully natural materials in the style.”

A major technical achievement for Vivobarefoot has been the creation of a fully natural outsole. “The outsole is usually the least sustainable part of a shoe,” she explains. “It’s made from synthetic rubber or EVA, which are both petroleum-based. We wanted something better.”

The answer came through collaboration with Natural Fiber Welding, resulting in an outsole made from natural rubber, citric acid, and other plant-based fillers. “It took 18 months of development and countless iterations. We had to make sure it was thin, flexible, and durable—everything our customers expect from Vivobarefoot.”

Innovating with new materials is expensive, especially when a company is operating at a smaller scale, Pumford adds. “The cost of these next-gen materials is still really high. We’re a small company, so minimum order quantities and research and development costs are a real challenge.”

To overcome these barriers, Vivobarefoot is taking a collaborative approach. “We’re sharing what we learn with other brands. If we all work together, we can bring costs down and make sustainable materials the norm, not the exception.”

This, she argues, is really just the beginning of how regenerative materials can be used in footwear and how the industry as a whole can become more circular. “We’re at the beginning of a materials revolution. Legislation is coming, customers are demanding more, and the science is catching up.”

Europe’s new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) will require companies to design for longevity, and starting in 2026, large companies will be prohibited from destroying unsold footwear (with changes for small to medium-sized enterprises phased in). Plus, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation will require manufacturers to be responsible for collecting, sorting, and recycling goods—including unsold footwear. While much of this is still in progress, it’s nudging companies to start thinking about the questions and issues facing fashion for years—and questions that Vivo has been thinking about since day one.

“We want to be at the forefront of that change. We’re not just trying to make better shoes. We’re trying to make shoes better—for people and for the planet.”

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