Hankook Tire launches footwear made of recycled tires

- Collaborates with leather shoes brand YASE on “ZERO” – LEAVE NOTHING BEHIND project
- Displays its deep sense of care and commitment towards sustainability and environmental protection
- To continue collaboration to add running shoes lineup in October

Seoul, Korea, August 31, 2021 - Global leading tire company Hankook Tire collaborates with shoes brand YASE to launch eco-friendly shoes made of recycled tires as part of its dedication to making the world a greener place.

YASE is a leather shoes brand headquartered in Korea launched in 2013. Hankook Tire and YASE embarked on ‘ZERO – LEAVE NOTHING BEHIND’ project with commitment to sustainable material and environmental protection. As sustainability is a core value and key agenda for Hankook, the company has taken the topic of tire recycling as one of the top agendas each year. Noting that a major raw material of shoes outsole is rubber, Hankook collaborated with YASE based on the understanding of YASE sharing the same vision in terms of reducing environmental impact.

Hankook chose footwear as collaboration item reminding that both tires and shoes share common traits of playing a crucial role in mobility and touching the ground on a daily basis. They also protect people from possible dangers on the road with durability and stability.

This cross-industry collaboration also adds meaning as a pair of shoes is a necessity that people use on a daily basis. It will offer MZ generation who have not had an opportunity to use tires yet a chance to experience Hankook Tire. Not only the shoes themselves but also packaging is designed with sustainability initiative as well. Shoe box, tags and pamphlets are made of 100% sugarcane material. Hankook expects this will resonate with customers who are early adopters and are conscious about the environment.

Hankook has been at the frontier of innovation with its mission being ‘future innovated, innovation realized’. The company aims to realize the future that customers imagine through technological advancements and R&D investments which back up its breakthroughs. It’s not the first time that Hankook Tire presents footwear offerings through a cross-industry collaboration. Hankook had worked with Vibram, a premium outsole company, in 2015 to create concept tires as well as shoes to garner recognition for its challenge spirit and innovative DNA.

Jimmy Kwon, Vice President of Hankook Tire’s Brand Lab says, “We are happy to announce the collaboration which leads to mutually inspired progressive innovation for both companies. It’s thrilling that we can help customers choose footwear that will contribute to making the world a greener place. It’s also great to see our tires that have reached the end of their lives turning into outsoles of footwear to take people to where they want with much comfort like they did on vehicles. Shoes made of our old tires will not only make a positive social impact but also will be hard-wearing and robust as our tires are developed with high quality materials and cutting-edge technologies.”

In total, five products are being unveiled through collaboration: four dress shoes and one comfort insole. The dress shoes lineup is composed of Chelsea boots, square toe Chelsea boots, Derby shoes and square toe Derby shoes. They are sold online in Korea. Hankook Tire plans to continue collaboration with YASE to additionally launch running shoes lineup in October.