When we at Reselo and Skråmträsk began collaborating, it was as an exciting experiment for our new material: a rubber sole made with birch bark, a by-product of the forestry industry. Now, after several product iterations and rigorous field tests in during harsh, nordic winters, we are entering a phase of new opportunities.
Skråmträsk is a small, craft-driven shoemaking workshop in Västerbotten in northern Sweden – an area steeped in rich cultural heritage, rugged mountain landscapes, and rich biodiversity. Skråmträsk has long focused on sustainability in its production; using swedish sourced vegetable-tanned leather, hand-made manufacturing, and even offering a repair service for its customers. When they found us, and saw the potential to replace fossil based materials with upcycled wastestreams from the forestry industry, they were quick to engage.
In the autumn of 2023, Skråmträsk produced a first-ever pair of shoes with outer soles made from our birch bark rubber. The shoe prototype quickly gained attention and has been exhibited at both international fairs and as part of a permanent display at the National Technical Museum in Stockholm. The shoes have also been both tested and worn – lasting everyday wear in both sun and ice, fitting both forest hikes and city strolls.
”It’s great that in recent years we have been able to test several different versions of Reselo outsoles and see how the material has developed. We have taken many and long walks with the shoes and since we live in northern Sweden, we especially value that the outsoles work excellently even in cold and snow. From a shoe manufacturer’s perspective, it is important that the rubber material is easy to work with, and here too the Reselo soles meet our high demands.”say Erik & Asta Hellgren.
For us transitioning from our laboratory to producing real shoe soles was a fantastic journey filled with opportunities to learn. Since the first prototype, the material has been further developed and feedback from tests has been used to enhance the performance of the rubber compound further.
Most importantly, we learned to truly understand the power of collaboration, which has become a core value of our business. Only by working together with our partners we’re able to quickly scale material production and rapidly implement our material into applications like shoe soles.
Now, we are ready to commercialize! To do so, we have partnered with Ilga, Skåmträsk’s current supplier of shoe soles. For us just like for Skråmträsk, it was important to work with a European sole manufacturer; as an Italian, 2nd generation family-owned business with over 70 years of experience Ilga was a perfect match.
Currently most outsoles are made from synthetic rubbers produced from fossil resources; resulting in a high CO2 footprint. Sustainable options are rare and often have a very low % of biobased content. By replacing synthetic rubbers with our material, we can have a major impact on the products carbon footprint, without compromising performance. Our first available outsole can now be ordered on five different models of Skråmträsk shoes. The outsoles are made of Reselo Rubber mixed with natural rubber and synthetic rubber. The rubber is 40% bio-based, and offers improved durability and toughness! The carbon footprint of this rubber compound is about 28% lower than that in “normal” soles.* Once produced at scale, our rubber will have an up to 95% lower carbon footprint than traditional, fossil-based rubbers due to its natural origin and efficient manufacturing.
You can order Skråmträsk shoes with Reselo soles now, and the shoes will be made by hand and shipped to you right away!
