Sole x ReCork Repurpose Used Wine Corks To Create Performance Insole

Sole, and its cork recycling program, ReCork, reached a milestone in a joint effort to create performance, carbon-negative insoles. The two groups “diverted more than 130 million used wine corks from going to waste,” said the brands.

The corks were recycled in Sole’s latest sustainable insole, the Performance Medium with Met Pad, designed with targeted forefoot support to minimize the impact on athletes’ bodies and the environment.

The footbed is engineered with a recycled cork-supportive base, a sustainable and renewable material that is carbon-negative, biodegradable and compostable.

The ReCork program collects and recycles used wine corks into products with over “3,500 eco-conscious collection partners across the continent,” said Sole.

Cork’s natural elasticity “makes for excellent shock absorption while custom-molding to each person’s unique feet. The result is a sophisticated footbed with a remarkable carbon-negative environmental footprint of -2.28kg CO2e, meaning it removes more carbon from the atmosphere than it adds,” continued Sole.

“We are proud to have reached this significant milestone and are thankful for all who continue to participate in the ReCork recycling program,” said Mike Baker, founder of Sole and ReCork. “Our Performance Medium with Met Pad footbed is the perfect choice for those looking to upgrade underfoot comfort and performance in their pursuits.”

Developed with a trademark density-mapped construction, the Performance Medium with Met Pad “maintains the foot’s natural biomechanics for athletes who demand the ultimate combination of dynamic support and comfort. With a built-in metatarsal pad, this insole helps to better position the foot’s natural forefoot padding and supports the metatarsals in their natural spread,” said Sole.