Louis Vuitton’s latest sneaker, the Charlie, demonstrates their commitment to eco-responsible design with recycled and innovative new materials that align with LVMH‘s newly unveiled sustainable development plan.

As Vuitton’s first-ever unisex shoe, the Charlie reflects current global developments in more ways than one. In terms of eco-responsibility, 90 percent of the shoe is made using recycled or bio-sourced materials. The sole, which accounts for half of the shoe’s weight, is made from almost 95 percent recycled rubber, while the grained upper sections comprise a layer of Biopolioli, a new bio-material that replaces harmful chemicals in the shoe-making process with polymers made from non-crop cereals like corn.

Elsewhere, the entirely-recycled laces match a tongue that is made using ECONYL, a 100 percent recycled (and recyclable) nylon made from nylon waste that the luxury fashion sector are increasingly turning to. A similar approach applies to the shoe’s packaging, a box-cum-bag made from renewably-sourced wood fibres certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The whole thing becomes a bag courtesy of a wooden handle that is also FSC-certified.

The release is just one part of Vuitton’s commitment to the LIFE360 plan, the ambitious new environmental performance roadmap unveiled by LVMH earlier this year. Through six lines of coordinated action, the plain aims to preserve natural resources and forge new alliances with nature with targets for 2023, 2026 and 2030.

The Charlie sneaker will be revealed on 12 November 2021.