Biodegradable shoes that mimic barefoot walking

Walking is already the most environmentally-benign form of transport, but Spanish company O1M has unveiled a skin tight, biodegradable shoe.

The O1M Onemoment biodegradable shoe has a flexible sole only 2 mm thick that allows the foot to walk and run unencumbered by thick padding and means it can be rolled up and stored in a pocket when not being worn.

Barefoot running

Barefoot, or lightly shod, runners land on the middle or front of their foot. Running in padded shoes alters this pattern, making the runner more prone to land heavily on their heel before rolling onto the forefoot.

Humans had been running barefoot comfortably and safely for thousands of years before the advent of heavily padded trainers. Proponents of barefoot running claim they are far less likely to suffer from injury; a study in 1991 stated that “wearers of expensive running shoes promoted as having additional features (e.g. more cushioning, ‘pronation correction’) that protect are injured significantly more frequently than runners wearing inexpensive shoes”