Cirql™ Launches Industrially Compostable, Biodegradable Material Innovation for Footwear Brands

Cirql™, a Vietnam-based innovation company focused on developing scalable, less impactful, finished midsole components and material solutions for footwear brands, today unveils Cirql Zero™ – a new industrially compostable, biodegradable foam innovation.

With a commitment to keeping shoes out of landfills, Cirql™ now offers footwear brands comprehensive solutions that address both the production and end-of-life phases of footwear materials, emphasizing biodegradability, recyclability, manufacturing adaptability and scalability. Cirql’s two end of life solutions include: fully recyclable with rTPU30, which contains 30% post-consumer recycled content, and biodegradable/industrially compostable with Cirql Zero.

“Footwear brands have been searching for a trusted, fully biodegradable midsole material for many years; it’s the last piece of the puzzle,” explains Matt Thwaites, Vice President and General Manager of Cirql. “The midsole has always been a challenge because brands need the performance properties to go with the compostability of a biodegradable midsole. After a diligent development and testing process, we can now provide a price-competitive, scalable, industrially compostable and biodegradable midsole component and material solution to our global footwear brand customers. I’m very proud that Cirql is able to work toward democratizing less impactful footwear materials.”

Cirql Zero debuts at ISPO Munich as the midsole in a concept shoe called the “Disappearing Shoe,” designed and developed by the Cirql team. Cirql’s Disappearing Shoe concept can be seen first-hand at the brand’s booths in Hall A2, Stand 426 and in the BrandNew Village, Hall B2, Stand 100-38. It’s also a finalist for the ISPO BrandNew Award (the winner of which will be announced at ISPO on December 4).

Cirql Zero represents a ground-breaking component and material solution for footwear brands using a proprietary polymer compound and made via supercritical foaming with inert gases. Cirql Zero offers a lightweight, comfortable, and resilient midsole solution that can be customized for multiple footwear categories, from athletic to luxury.

A patent-pending innovation, Cirql Zero can be ‘tuned’ to meet the design specs required by footwear brands. At the end of the product’s life, Cirql Zero exceeds the industrial compostability testing standard of 90% degradation in 180 days. It will be fully compostable in industrial composting.

A standout feature of Cirql Zero is its manufacturing versatility. This midsole foam can be produced using supercritical foaming (SCF) technology in an autoclave process. This flexibility ensures that Cirql Zero is accessible to a broad range of manufacturers, streamlining its integration into existing production processes and paving the way for its rapid adoption across the global footwear industry. Cirql Zero is the first midsole foam of its kind that can be scaled to hundreds of millions of pairs of shoes annually.

Cirql offers solutions for footwear brands and their factory partners to make progress towards their own sustainability goals; ensuring a more environmentally responsible supply chain; and minimizing the negative end of life impacts associated with footwear manufacturing.

As a brand focused on lowering the environmental impacts associated with footwear, Cirql is committed to transparent, verifiable claims, and trackable operations, materials, and processes. On November 21, Cirql’s Vietnam factory obtained GRS certification.

“We’re very proud to offer our revolutionary midsole solutions. With Cirql rTPU30 and now, Cirql Zero, our team is ready to provide the global footwear industry trusted, scalable, end-of-life solutions that are much needed by brands to reach their own climate goals,” said Thwaites.