Football boots made using cruelly sourced kangaroo leather could soon be a think of the past as PUMA engineers a new way forward.
PUMA, the world-renowned sports company, has recently introduced its new K-BETTER™ technology in its iconic football boot, the KING. The innovative new technology has been designed to deliver exceptional performance without using kangaroo leather, a material that has long been associated with football boots. The KING has been worn by legendary players such as Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona, Eusébio, Lothar Matthäus and Pelé, and now it’s returning to the pitch supercharged with the latest PUMA technology.
The new KING is the first football boot to be made with K-BETTER™, a completely new, non-animal-based upper material. This innovative material contains at least 20% recycled material, which is a step toward a better future. The K-BETTER™ material has been tested for touch, comfort, and durability, and has proven to outperform the previous KING K-Leather. PUMA is so convinced by the performance characteristics of K-BETTER™ that it will stop producing football boots with kangaroo leather altogether this year.
Peter Stappen, Lead Product Line Manager Teamsport Footwear, said, “The PUMA KING is PUMA’s most iconic franchise in football and has always stood for using the best materials and the latest in innovation. Over the years we have seen the boot evolve and become ingrained in on pitch and off pitch football culture, from the pitches to the terraces. The new KING takes the franchise to the next-level and offers a super-soft upper with optimal stretch resistance for ultimate touch and control benefits.”
Apart from the redesigned upper, The KING also features a new lightweight outsole with an external heel counter, KING stability spine, and conical studs, so you have as much control over your movements as you do over the ball. The KING includes a lightweight removable sockliner with NanoGrip technology to keep the foot locked in place to minimize any loss of power when changing direction.
The new KING also features a custom women-specific fit, making it supercharged for her. PUMA has engineered the latest KING technology with measurements such as volume and instep height to provide the best fit possible for women’s feet. The new KING women’s will debut on the pitch with Ingrid Engen, Nabil Fekir, Lena Lattwein, and more.
The PUMA KING Supercharge edition, featuring the innovative K-BETTER™ technology, will be available for purchase starting March 2nd at PUMA.com, PUMA stores, and specialist football retailers.
PUMA has been designing, developing, selling, and marketing footwear, apparel, and accessories for 75 years. The company relentlessly pushes sport and culture forward by creating fast products for the world’s fastest athletes. PUMA offers performance and sport-inspired lifestyle products in categories such as Football, Running and Training, Basketball, Golf, and Motorsports. It collaborates with renowned designers and brands to bring sport influences into street culture and fashion.
As consumers, we have a responsibility to make sustainable choices to protect our planet. With PUMA’s innovative K-BETTER™ technology, we can make a positive impact by choosing products that are made from sustainable materials. By supporting PUMA’s efforts to phase out kangaroo leather in their football boots, we can help protect our environment and the animals that inhabit it. Let’s make a difference and choose products that are 0% leather, but 110% KING.
While you’re at it, check out Tiny Rescue, a mission-based, woman and minority-owned sustainable fashion line breaking the mold for zero-waste fashion and is on a mission to raise awareness through sustainable apparel. All Tiny Rescue apparel is certified net carbon neutral, and GOTS certified organic cotton, and packaging is 100 percent plastic-free and made entirely from plants. Tiny Rescue’s manufacturing partners are entirely powered by renewable energy, which means their supply chain processes and factories cause zero harm to the planet. All products are printed to order on fabric made of zero-waste natural fibres, and through organic materials, renewable energy supply chains, and sustainable packaging, they offer the planet-minded consumer an opportunity to participate in a circular economy!
Original source: https://www.onegreenplanet.org
