Stepping into sustainability: Hankook launches shoes made from recycled tires

SEOUL, South Korea—When taking the first step on the journey toward a more sustainable future, it's important to put your best foot forward. But what about the next step, or the one after that?

Hankook Tire & Technology Co. Ltd. is doing its part to make the road to reducing its carbon footprint a little more comfortable—every step of the way.

The Seongnam-si, South Korea-based tire maker has collaborated with a local leather shoes brand, YASE, to embark on the project "Zero—Leave Nothing Behind" with the mission of creating eco-friendly shoes made from recycled tires.

Jimmy Kwon, vice president of Hankook Tire's Brand Lab, said the companies came together because of their shared vision of reducing their environmental impact.

"As sustainability is a core value and key agenda for us, we have taken the topic of tire recycling as one of our top objectives each year," he said in an email to Rubber News.

Hankook's collaboration with YASE kicked off Aug. 31 with the release of the shoe collection, which includes four shoe styles—Chelsea boots, square toe Chelsea boots, derby shoes and square toe derby shoes—and one comfort insole.

The partners are in discussion for further collaboration, including the potential release of running shoes that originally were slated to be unveiled in October.

Hankook recycled 50 tires that were processed into outsoles for 2,000 pairs of shoes, which means a single tire can be turned into 40 pairs of shoes, Kwon said. The company also manufactured 100 insoles in total.

"According to the Korea National Institute of Forest Science, 2.8 tons of carbon dioxide emissions is reduced by recycling 50 used tires, which weigh approximately 1.5 tons. This is equivalent to planting 425 pine trees," he said.

"This is not a small amount, as a 20-year-old tree consumes around 6.7 kg of carbon dioxide emissions."

Kwon said the shoes are "hard-wearing and robust," as their soles are made from Hankook tires.

"As a tire manufacturer, we have the utmost pride in our product, and as a result of aggressive investment in R&D, we consistently develop and adopt high-quality materials and cutting-edge technologies to our products," he said.

This is in tune with the company's philosophy, "future innovated, innovation realized."

"Under this mission, Hankook Tire aims to realize the future that customers imagine through technological advancements and R&D investments, which back up its breakthroughs," Kwon said. "When discussing the future that our customers imagine, we can no longer leave out environmental sustainability.

"Accelerated by the pandemic, sustainability matters to consumers more than ever before. We are seeing consumers getting more conscious about environmental impacts, including the damaging effects of waste."

Kwon said listening to consumers is crucial for Hankook.

"We take sustainability topics such as the environment, health and safety not as an option, but as essential," he said.

By recycling or "upcycling" old tires, Kwon said, Hankook not only helps divert them from landfills, but also minimizes the need to use new or raw materials for products such as outsoles, further reducing air pollution, water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

This is not the first time the company has "ventured into cross-industry collaboration," Kwon said, noting a 2015 project with Vibram, a premium outsole company, and a 2020 collaboration with Nexon's Crazyracing Kartrider. The tire maker also has set up a crowdfunding effort this year for camping gear comprising chairs and blankets.

"In addition to paving a great way to widen customers' eco-friendly options, we also believe this kind of collaboration leads to mutually inspired progressive innovation for both industries," he said.

In its 80 years of existence, Hankook said it has always been committed to sustainability.

"Hankook Tire has always operated with the mindset of contributing toward a better world," Kwon said. "It's not a marketing initiative, but a genuine business philosophy. Our efforts include applying sustainable raw materials, fostering a sustainable value chain, developing eco-friendly products, innovating R&D by implementing digital twin and AI, and partnering with technology companies to develop sustainable mobility such as road safety solutions."

Launching the upcycled footwear is just one example of this commitment, he said. "We chose footwear as it reminds us that both tires and shoes share common traits of playing a crucial role in mobility on a daily basis."

And like the tires from which they're made, the shoes "protect people from possible dangers on the road with durability and stability," he added, even for those who haven't had the chance to experience Hankook Tires yet.

The shoes offer the "MZ" generation—the combined millennials and Generation Z of South Korea, which makes up 35.5 percent of the country's population—a chance to experience Hankook Tire technology "regardless of age and gender needs on a daily basis," Kwon said. He added that this generation is "especially environment-conscious and keen to making green purchase decisions."

Hankook selected South Korea's top online retailer, Musinsa, which is popular with the MZ generation, as its sales channel for the shoes.

As an added touch of environmental conscientiousness, the packaging for the shoes also is made of 100-percent sugarcane material, which includes the shoe box, pamphlets and tags.

But the shoe collaboration with YASE is just the surface of what Hankook is doing when it comes to eco-friendly action.

Following its first inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices in 2011, Hankook has been listed in the DJSI World for five consecutive years from 2016-20, Kwon said, adding that the company also has received the highest rating of "outstanding" (85-100) from EcoVadis for three consecutive years. Last year, Hankook obtained leadership ratings from CDP—formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project—for its performance in climate change response and water security, receiving the Carbon Management Sector Honors at the CDP Climate Change Korea Awards.

"Hankook is making substantial efforts to create a blueprint for the future," Kwon said, noting that the tire maker sets clear goals for a greener world. Those include achieving 100-percent sustainable raw material use by 2050 and reducing emissions by 50 percent compared to the company's 2018 emissions, among other initiatives in production, R&D and corporate social responsibility.

"As we will continue to keep the topic of sustainability and upcycling of tires as a top objective," he said, "there may be more of these kinds of activities that involve creative and innovative collaboration for making the world a greener place."