Captured Carbon Footwear Materials
On Commercializes Co₂-Derived Eva for Over One Million Shoes
Mursal Rahman — July 16, 2026
Captured carbon footwear materials are moving from prototypes to commercial production as Infinium supplies CO₂-derived eNaphtha for On's Cloud X 5, enabling the first commercially scaled EVA sportswear midsoles made from captured carbon emissions. Rather than requiring entirely new manufacturing systems, the renewable feedstock is chemically identical to conventional naphtha, allowing it to flow through existing petrochemical infrastructure while maintaining the same performance and durability consumers expect. The collaboration has accelerated On's CleanCloud rollout to more than one million pairs of shoes, reaching commercial scale years earlier than originally planned.
This approach demonstrates how carbon capture can extend beyond emissions reduction into mainstream manufacturing. By integrating renewable feedstocks into established production networks, chemical suppliers, material producers, and consumer brands can lower reliance on fossil-derived inputs while reducing commercialization costs. As supply expands, similar carbon-based materials could become viable across footwear, packaging, and other high-volume consumer products.
