Shoe that grows into an apple tree is going into production

The ‘Johnny’ shoe rapidly biodegrades underground and grows into an apple tree.

TORONTO — Johnny Footwear announces the successful funding of their Kickstarter campaign. Unlike traditional footwear which contains harmful plastic waste, Johnny created a biodegradable sneaker that grows into a tree. Johnny launched their crowdfunding campaign on October 12th, 2021 and has raised over $73,000.

“Most people don’t realize the shoes they wear are harmful to the planet. They contain plastic that floods our oceans and landfills and sticks around for up to 1,000 years,” says Luc Houle, founder of the environmentally conscious shoe brand. “Our compound feels like traditional athletic shoes, but they biodegrade in 3 years rather than the typical 1,000.”

The shoes will not reportedly biodegrade on your feet. They require consistent exposure to the elements in an underground environment to activate. After eighteen months the midsole will be 53% biodegraded and an apple seed is released where it will begin the process of germination.

The inaugural model boasts a number of features:

• Water-resistant uppers
• Collapsible heel
• Anti-odor
• Environmental commitment

Founder Luc Houle says the Kickstarter campaign was the ideal platform to launch Johnny. “This is a new product, a new company and a new way of bringing innovation to the world.”