2023.07.14

True Worth of "MOAB 3 MOONSHOT ECO": Outdoor Shoes Realized by Merrell Using Natural Materials

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Pineapple leaves, eucalyptus trees, mushroom leather, banana tree fiber, coffee grounds, seaweed, soybean oil, sugarcane, etc. The "MOAB 3 MOONSHOT ECO," which utilizes sustainable materials developed with the aim of reducing environmental impact throughout the shoe, is an outdoor shoe that could become the new norm for nature lovers.

To decode its true value, we visited MARUBENI FOOTWEAR INC., which handles the Merrell brand, and spoke with Marketing Manager Yusuke Tanaka.

The reliable model with a worldwide cumulative sales of 28 million pairs has evolved sustainably with the latest technology!

MOAB 3 MOONSHOT ECO, priced at 27,500 yen (tax included). It comes in men's sizes ranging from 25.0cm to 28.0cm, 29.0cm, and 30cm, and women's sizes ranging from 22.5cm to 25.0cm.

Since its launch in 2007, the long-selling MOAB series has supported outdoor fans' feet and has been upgraded to "MOAB 2" in 2017 and "MOAB 3" in 2022. Recently, it has gained popularity as a fashion tool beyond the outdoor field. The so-called "Triple Black" of the "MOAB 3", which is unified in black, is particularly popular for casual wear.

"As a long-selling item and a renowned key item, the 'MOAB' series could not easily adapt to the trend of sustainability. Regarding the 'MOAB 3', including the 'Triple Black,' we are updating the materials from natural sources and reusing waste materials as much as possible.

“With our specialty model ‘MOAB 3 Moonshot Eco,’ we pursued sustainability as much as possible. The mission was to create the most sustainable shoe in Merrell's history, similar to the ‘MOAB 3,’ by reevaluating our shoe-making process from the manufacturing stage, with the aim of passing on beautiful nature to future generations and making the most of naturally derived renewable materials.”

Materials with a low environmental impact have been used in each part of the shoe.

In the near future, it will be commonplace for shoes to utilize materials that have a low environmental impact!

The manufacturing process of shoes, along with apparel, has been said to be among the top operations that put a burden on the environment. Therefore, many consumers understand that in recent years, the number of companies aiming for active environmental conservation through sustainable manufacturing and recycling initiatives has increased.

“‘Merrell,’ the brand our company deals with, is owned by a company called ‘Wolverine World Wide’ in Michigan, USA. By 2025, one of the goals that ‘Merrell’ aims to achieve is to eliminate products that do not use sustainable materials. The goal is to ‘adopt organic, recycled, or renewable materials in all shoes.’

“While it is difficult to make shoes solely from 100% recycled materials, we will use recycled materials somewhere in every shoe. This not only involves using recycled plastic bottles, but we also aim to make the most of naturally derived materials. In the future, "Merrell" will take back the shoes sold, clean them up, and resell them as part of an SDGs initiative implemented initially in the US.

“Incidentally, in the US, the term SDGs is not commonly used. Instead, the term JEDI is frequently used. It is an acronym for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. It is thought to be a reference to the Jedi, the guardians of freedom and justice in the galaxy, who appear in the ‘Star Wars’ series.

“Grand ventures call for grand names. The term ‘Moonshot’ adopted for the specialty model of ‘MOAB 3’ carries the connotation of an unprecedented attempt full of possibilities, similar to the American project of the 1960s that aimed to launch rockets to the moon.”