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In Conversation with Algenesis Labs: Giving the breakdown on biodegradable footwear

The Fashion for Good team interviewed Algenesis Labs CEO, Dr. Stephen Mayfield, to learn more about the innovator’s story, technology, challenges, and successes and showcase innovations that are driving tangible change in the industry and leading the path to scale.
 Image by Algenesis Labs

 

12 February 2026

 

Can you tell us about Algenesis Labs, how it started, and what the organisation does?

Algenesis Labs was founded in 2016 at the University of California, San Diego by three professors: Dr. Skip Pomeroy, Dr. Mike Burkart and me. While surfing in the ocean and seeing firsthand the impact of plastic pollution, we realised that conventional plastics and foams, especially polyurethanes used in footwear and consumer products, persist for centuries and shed microplastics that harm ecosystems and human health. Algenesis was created to solve this problem.

Today, we develop high-performance, bio-based, fully biodegradable polyurethanes through our patented Soleic® technology. These materials perform like conventional plastics during use but break down completely at end-of-life, leaving no harmful microplastics behind. Soleic® is already being used in footwear, coated fabrics, and other consumer products, showing what’s possible when sustainability and performance align.

What problem is your innovation solving, and how does the technology work?

The problem is that most plastics, particularly polyurethanes, persist in the environment and fragment into microplastics over time, which accumulate in soil, waterways, oceans, and even the human body. Soleic® solves this by redesigning polyurethane at the molecular level.

Made primarily from renewable, plant-based feedstocks, Soleic® is engineered to deliver the durability, flexibility, and mechanical performance that brands require across footwear, fashion, and other products. At the end of life, it fully biodegrades through natural microbial processes, providing a circular alternative that works with nature instead of against it.

What have been the biggest successes so far?

Some of our key milestones include:

  • Developing the world’s first high-performance, fully biodegradable polyurethane.
  • Launching Blueview® Shoes as a proof of concept, demonstrating that fully biodegradable footwear can meet performance expectations.
  • Publishing 19 peer-reviewed scientific papers validating our technology.
  • Achieving third-party recognition, including USDA BioPreferred® certification, EcoVadis Silver Medal, and winning the CPI Innovative Polyurethane Award.
  • Launching Bio-Iso™, the world’s first 100% plant-based, phosgene-free isocyanate, enabling fully biobased, circular polyurethanes for footwear and fashion applications.


What role does collaboration play in bringing innovations to scale?

Collaboration is essential to turning material science breakthroughs into real-world solutions. At Algenesis, we work closely with academic researchers, third-party testing organisations, supply-chain partners, and forward-thinking brands to ensure our innovations succeed beyond the lab and at commercial scale.

Just as importantly, we rely on partners who help translate material platforms into usable products. For example, our collaboration with KUORI plays a key role in adapting Soleic® for real-world applications. These partnerships are critical to reducing development risk and accelerating the adoption of truly circular materials.

In what ways does your innovation deliver tangible value to the industry, such as financial returns, operational efficiency, or enhanced business viability?

Soleic® delivers value in multiple ways:

  • Risk reduction: Eliminates microplastics and end-of-life liability inherent in conventional plastics.
  • Regulatory readiness: Prepares brands for emerging microplastics and extended producer responsibility regulations.
  • Performance parity: Matches fossil-based polyurethanes without compromising durability or comfort.
  • Brand credibility: Supports verifiable, science-backed sustainability claims, helping brands avoid greenwashing.
  • Long-term economics: While early adoption carries a modest material premium, this declines with scale and is outweighed by reduced regulatory, reputational, and environmental risk.


What’s next for you? 

We are focused on expanding Soleic® adoption across additional footwear categories, coated fabrics, and other consumer goods while scaling production. We are partnering with brands and manufacturers worldwide to drive global adoption and bring truly circular products to market. Operationally, we continue to invest in material innovation, validation, and supply-chain readiness to support this international growth.

Lastly, what advice would you give consumers trying to be more sustainable?

Sustainability doesn’t have to mean perfection. Start by asking better questions. It can be hard to distinguish genuine claims from greenwashing, so educate yourself. Instead of focusing only on “plant-based” or “low-carbon” labels, ask what happens to a product at the end of its life. Does it fully break down, or does it just become microplastics?

Supporting brands that back their claims with real science and third-party validation makes a real difference. Every purchase sends a signal. By choosing products designed for true circularity, consumers help push industries toward solutions that work with nature instead of against it.

 

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