To ensure that the WINQS Zerofly™ convinces on all fronts right from the start, we brought a number of high-profile partners on board. One of them is the legendary tyre manufacturer Michelin. In addition to their recycled sole material Hybrid Rubber, GeckoGrip™ also offers an innovative repair solution.
Actually, the French company Michelin has not only been keeping cars on the track in the past decades. Michelin has also made a name for itself as a top address for demanding shoe soles - not only but also for outdoor or running sports.
"In our previous jobs we had worked with Michelin's performance soles already," says Jan Kratochvil, co-founder of Winqs. "When we learned that a new sustainability programme was being launched, we immediately approached them. The result is our GeckoGrip™ performance outsole."
Michelin's Hybrid Rubber recycles rubber scraps that are not coming from the automotive industry, but deliberately from the production of other footwear. This reduces the need for virgin rubber material. A first step towards zero waste. But the right material was only part of this journey.
According to Morena Baleani, International Sales Manager at JVI, Michelin's specialized sole developer, everything had to match. "The biggest challenge has been developing an eco-friendly product respecting the performances of a running shoe's sole," says Baleani. "It was about finding the right balance between the Hybrid Solution and the athletic demand. That's why we worked on the design and the architecture of the outsole."
And the development team succeeded. The GeckoGrip™ outsole of the WINQS Zerofly™ is ergonomically shaped for flexibility, equipped with a pattern of multi-directional cells for optimal grip and interspersed with smart channels that remove water and prevent aquaplaning. The raised heel edge also prevents unpleasant slipping during heel strike impacts - for example during downhill runs.
"The Zerofly™ was a great challenge," says Baleani. "And we are very proud to have been chosen by Winqs as an ingredient brand for their first project."
But if the journey would end here, we would still be too far from our ecological aspirations. So what could make the outsole of a top running shoe even more sustainable?
"Of course, every outsole is done at some point," explains Kratochvil. "Either is has been damaged too often or it's simply worn out. But wanting to sell a new pair of shoes just because of that, would contradict our DNA."
That's why WINQS provides its repair partners with new original parts . So if the outsole has become a little tired after the thirtieth marathon, but the shoe is otherwise still in good shape, the outsole can be exchanged for a new one- and it is not necessary to make a completely new shoe.
