HERZOGENAURACH, Germany (Sept. 19, 2011)—Sports clothing brand Puma A.G. is using rice-husk fillers in its sports shoes as a partial replacement for rubber.
Rice husks are known to be rich in silica, long an ingredient in tire making, the company said. The material is used extensively in sports shoe compounds to resist damage due to scuffing and tearing, Puma said.
Puma said its Puma Re-Suede outsole “is made from Double R Rice Rubber, which replaces a portion of the rubber content with a rice husk filler, reducing the overall rubber needed, and saving considerable fossil fuel energy in manufacturing and agricultural resources.”