ECCO and Spinnova announce the launch of the limited edition ECCO BIOM® 720
ECCO BIOM® 720, a first-of-its-kind shoe utilises an often overlooked leather by-product, transformed into a protein-based fibre. The fibres are produced using patented technology that advances material innovation while reducing waste and supporting full resource use across the leather and textile industry.
ECCO and Spinnova began their collaboration in 2020 through a joint venture exploring how leather by-product raw materials could be utilised as textile fibres. Using the unique technology, by‑products that are typically discarded, burned for energy or composted during leather production, are instead transformed into durable fibres, giving residual materials an entirely new function and lifespan.
Wet blue shavings – thin layers removed to achieve consistent leather thickness – are processed into continuous textile fibre filaments that can be cut into textile‑grade fibres. The resulting material has tensile strength comparable to wool and elongation at break roughly twice that of cotton, combining durability and flexibility. This enables versatile use across woven and knitted textile structures, while supporting more efficient manufacturing with reduced production waste.
The ECCO BIOM® 720 launch demonstrates how innovation can transform an undervalued by‑product into a valuable new resource. By upcycling leather offcuts into premium textile fibres, ECCO and Spinnova have developed a circular solution that preserves material integrity, reduces waste, and creates new possibilities for footwear and textile applications. With the protein-based fibre debuting in ECCO footwear, this milestone marks the transition from long‑term development to real‑world application.