I’m always on the lookout for new and exciting products in the sustainability space. So it’s safe to say that when I heard about Unless Collective’s The Degenerate Sneaker — which claims to be completely made from plants — I was excited to try it out.
I got my feet in a pair and wore them as my daily shoe for a few weeks and researched how Unless Collective managed to make a sneaker from plants. Here’s what I think.
This sneaker not only looks good, but it also exemplifies the cutting edge of plant-based materials. Every aspect of the shoe — from its natural rubber sole and foam cushioning to its cotton laces — is made from plants. If you want a shoe that’s better for the planet and stylish, The Degenerate is a great option.
What we liked about them
Sustainability
It’s no secret there are a lot — and I mean a lot — of options out there if you’re looking to buy eco-friendly sneakers. And, like with all things sustainability, there are many different factors that can make a shoe better for the planet. Cariuma’s sneakers are packed with materials that are better for the planet than traditional shoes, such as cotton canvas, vegan insoles and laces made from recycled plastic. Allbirds is also innovating more planet-friendly materials, like its proprietary SweetFoam, a sugarcane midsole that’s made with the world’s first carbon-negative green EVA — not to mention Allbirds’ work to track and lower the carbon footprint of all the shoes it makes. Beyond materials and carbon emissions, you can find brands like Nisolo, which is working toward providing 100% of employees in its entire supply chain with living wages.
Unless Collective, like many other sustainable fashion brands, decided to focus on using alternative and earth-friendly materials in its shoe. To take it to the next level, however, the brand teamed up with Natural Fiber Welding (NFW) to create a sneaker entirely made from plants. The Degenerate is one of the only shoes I could find made from 100% plant-based materials (more on that below), and it’s the first shoe to use NFW’s Pliant and Tunera products, a 100% biobased outsole made completely without synthetics and a plastic-free foam alternative to EVA and PU, respectively. On top of debuting a couple of NFW’s innovative materials, The Degenerate also features NFW Clarus recycled cotton base material, NFW Mirum overlays and reinforcements, cotton laces with embroidered lace tips, coconut fiber inlay soles with linen covers, linen side stitches, cotton canvas linings and a cotton embroidered tongue logo.
What’s great about making a completely plant-based shoe is not only is it easier on the environment to make, it’s also easier to biodegrade and go back into the earth. Unless Collective runs a take-back program for all its products, but for The Degenerate Sneaker specifically, you can send the sneakers back to the brand after you wear them out and get a 20% discount on your next pair by using a code that’s included right on the box. I wish the code were somehow integrated into the shoe or you didn’t need a code at all, as it might be difficult or annoying to keep track of a code for the (hopefully) years you wear the shoe. If you do lose your code, you can always email the brand’s customer support and they will help you process your return.
Once you send your sneakers back, Unless Collective says that it sends the items to an industrial composting facility where the materials will get ground up and composted, at which point NFW takes the soil to make new plant-based materials.
I love the fact that Unless Collective not only makes a shoe with more eco-conscious materials but also takes the responsibility of disposing the shoe off the consumer. Yes, a lot of the onus is still on the shopper since you have to mail the shoes back to Unless, but hopefully if you buy a plant-based shoe, the prospect of it being composted and turned into new materials is a bit more motivating than sending a random return back in the mail.
Style, comfort and fit
The Degenerate is clearly a superior shoe when it comes to sustainability, but the question with all eco-friendly alternatives is always the same: Is it as good as its traditional counterparts? When it comes to The Degenerate, the short answer is yes.
What stood out the most to me when I unboxed my pair of sneakers was just how cool they look. Oftentimes sustainable sneakers can look a bit goofy or awkward, probably because the brands are trying to reach out to the widest amount of people as possible to encourage as many shoppers as they can to switch to a more earth-friendly option. Now, I’m not saying the aesthetics of The Degenerate don’t have widespread appeal, but Unless Collective wasn’t afraid to design its shoe with a modern, streetwear-inspired take. The sharp silhouette and extra-chunky sole paired with Unless Collective’s undeniably cool logo on the tongue make for a stylish shoe that can be worn every day with basically anything.
Besides the sneaker’s cool factor, I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable they are. Is the sole as cloudlike and plush as the EVA foam in your comfiest pair of running shoes? No. But for a support system made from plants, The Degenerate is definitely more comfortable than I was expecting and is on par with a typical sneaker. If you’re on your feet all day long, this probably isn’t the sneaker for you, but if you’re running around town getting errands done or meeting up with friends, this sneaker is plenty comfortable.
When it comes to fit, Unless Collective’s sneaker was very close to most other shoes I’ve tried. I typically run between a US men’s 8.5 and 9, more often leaning toward a 9. I had a string of big shoes when I ordered The Degenerates, so I tried an 8.5 and they’re just a tiny bit too small. If I ordered a 9 (my normal size), they would’ve fit perfectly, but if you do tend to run in between sizes like me, I’d recommend sizing up.
What we didn’t like about them
This isn’t exactly a negative in my opinion, but it’s something that’s important to know. The materials of The Degenerate feel flimsier and less durable than what you’d find in a traditional sneaker. However, that’s kind of the whole point. A shoe that’s able to be composted by nature won’t be as durable as one that’s made from plastics and could last thousands of years in a landfill.
I haven’t seen any degradation or damage in the weeks I’ve been wearing the sneaker, but from the first time you put it on you can definitely tell that the materials don’t feel as thick or durable as you might expect. Because of this, you might have to swap them out for a new pair more often than you’re used to, but thanks to Unless Collective’s free take-back program — where you also get a 20% credit toward your next pair of shoes — getting rid of The Degenerate sneakers is easy, good for the planet and good for your wallet.
How they compare
There are tons of eco-friendly sneakers on the market, and like I mentioned before, different brands have different ways of making shoes more sustainable. Even when you look at materials, brands like Rothy’s use fabric made from recycled water bottles instead of sourcing plant-based options like Unless Collective.
While plenty of other shoes have materials that are less impactful on the planet than a traditional sneaker’s, there aren’t many other 100% plant-based options on the market. One that I found is Native Shoes’ The Plant Shoe. The Plant Shoe had very limited stock and was completely sold out at the time of writing this story. If you do manage to get your hands on a pair, Native Shoes also has a take-back program called the Native Shoes Remix Project, which recycles shoes into a “versatile material that is useful in the creation of seating, playground flooring, insulation and more.” Sanuk also offers a 100% plant-based shoe in its Veg Out, which is made from a hemp cotton blend with jute footbeds and cork and natural rubber outsoles.
When I learned about Unless Collective’s take-back program, I immediately thought of a similar initiative that put Thousand Fell sneakers on my radar a while back. Thousand Fell works with SuperCircle to either refurbish and donate them to someone in need or recycle them and reintroduce certain materials back into its supply chain. Plus, Thousand Fell gives you a $20 credit toward your next pair of sneakers for every pair you mail back, giving you more initiative to keep your shoe rack sustainable.
And, of course, it’s always worth mentioning some of our other favorite sustainable shoe brands that are doing great things, such as Allbirds, Everlane and Cariuma. Unless Collective is trying to stand out with a 100% plant-based shoe, but the most important thing to consider when buying a sustainable shoe is finding one you’ll actually wear, so make sure to look at as many brands as possible to find your perfect pair.
Bottom line
Is The Degenerate by Unless Collective the most sustainable sneaker on the market? It’s impossible to say, but probably not. However, it is a much more eco-friendly sneaker than what you’re probably wearing right now. Its 100% plant-based ingredient list paired with a stellar take-back program where your shoes literally get composted is leaps and bounds ahead of what most shoe brands are doing these days.
If you’re looking for another place to reduce your impact and you dig The Degenerate’s skater-inspired style like I do, you’ll be more than happy when these sneakers are on your shoe rack and — eventually — back in the dirt.