The soles for sustainable footwear are becoming an increasingly strategic choice for fashion and footwear brands. The growing environmental awareness, demand for supply chain transparency, and European sustainability regulations push designers and manufacturers to adopt materials and processes that reduce environmental impact—without compromising on performance, style, or customization.
PBS Soles leads the way with innovative solutions for the production of green soles, offering certified materials, low-impact processing, and a responsible vision of the entire production cycle.
Why soles matter in ecological transition
Shoe sustainability goes beyond the upper or packaging: the sole plays a key role. Traditionally made of synthetic or petroleum-based materials, soles significantly contribute to a product’s environmental footprint. That’s why rethinking their production with a green mindset is essential.
Soles for sustainable footwear must deliver durability, flexibility, comfort and longevity—while coming from renewable or recycled sources, allowing for separation and recycling, and contributing to a circular product lifecycle.
Most popular sustainable materials
PBS Soles offers a wide range of green materials for soles, selected based on the type of footwear, functional use, and the client’s environmental goals. The most popular include:
- Natural cork agglomerate: lightweight, breathable, recyclable and sourced from renewable materials.
- Recycled or bio-based EVA: versatile, cushioning, available with recycled content or plant-derived resins.
- Natural or recycled rubber: abrasion-resistant, durable, and reusable from post-consumer waste like tires.
- Biodegradable TPU: high-end and innovative material for premium eco lines.
- Low-impact compounds: custom formulas with REACH-compliant ingredients and reduced toxic content.
All materials are tested to ensure excellent technical performance and significantly lower environmental impact.
Responsible design and processes
The production of sustainable soles isn’t only about materials—processes matter, too. PBS Soles is committed to:
- Minimizing waste through optimized cutting and internal material recovery.
- Low-energy production thanks to modern machinery and efficient workflow planning.
- Eco-friendly coloring and finishing using water-based paints, metal-free pigments and textures that avoid additional chemical treatments.
Design also plays a role: lightweight structures reduce raw material use, modular soles support disassembly, and patterns enhance product durability.
Small batches for green collections
PBS Soles offers small batch production of sustainable soles, starting from 400 pieces. This flexibility is ideal for:
- green capsule collections
- special eco-retail projects
- rapid prototyping or market testing
- limited seasonal runs
Our technical team helps clients choose the right material, refine their design, and manage sampling and prototyping phases quickly and effectively.
Communication and traceability
Green soles by PBS Soles come with technical datasheets and environmental specs to support B2B and B2C communication. Clients receive composition details and certifications to reinforce their sustainability claims and build consumer trust through transparent messaging.
A responsible choice for the future
Opting for soles for sustainable footwear means committing to ethical, forward-looking product development. Whether you’re creating fashion shoes, performance models or comfort collections, sustainability and style can now go hand in hand.
PBS Soles is your trusted partner for developing green, tailored, and high-quality soles—Made in Italy.
Contact us to explore your next sustainable project.