Houston-based biomaterials startup Rheom Materials has launched a dual-material platform aimed at replacing petroleum-based components in mass-market footwear. The initiative introduces two specialized products: Benree, a biodegradable plastic for structural internals, and ShoraiDura, a durable leather alternative for shoe uppers.
By offering a suite of materials rather than a single solution, the company intends to help brands transition away from conventional plastics across multiple parts of the shoe construction process. According to Rheom founder and CEO Zimri Hinshaw, A shoe is not one material; it is multiple parts working together as a system. Substituting a single material has never moved the needle.
Rheom Materials aims to facilitate broader sustainable changes within the industry through this integrated platform. As Hinshaw noted, By providing an assortment of bio-based materials, brands can change the system, not just a swatch of it.
Structural Components with Benree
Benree is designed to serve as a sustainable replacement for the hard plastics typically found in footwear, such as toe puffs and heel counters. The material is 100 percent USDA-certified bio-based and biodegradable, with performance metrics the company claims are comparable to acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Benree has already undergone SATRA testing for high-heel applications in collaboration with the Australian brand Bared Footwear.
At Bared, we’re constantly on a journey to remove plastic from our shoes. At the same time, our brand won’t compromise on quality for the end customer,
said Millie Richards, head of sustainability at Bared Footwear.
ShoraiDura bio-based material enables footwear prototypes
To address the outer construction of footwear, the company developed ShoraiDura. This material contains approximately 80 percent bio-based content and is engineered to withstand the friction and repeated flexing required for footwear uppers. Rheom collaborated with a Los Angeles-based manufacturer to produce prototypes of an athletic sneaker and a textured skater shoe to demonstrate the material’s viability. While these prototypes and early testing phases provide a proof of concept, the company notes that future commercial adoption remains subject to ongoing product development and manufacturer evaluations. The company’s broader product portfolio includes its Shorai leather alternative, which debuted at the 2025 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and was featured in a bio-based collection shown in Milan earlier this year.
