Far Eastern New Century: Revolutionizing Footwear with Recycled PET Bottle Midsoles

Far Eastern New Century Corporation (FENC), a leader in eco-friendly polyester materials, announced a breakthrough in footwear sustainability. In 2025, FENC became the first to commercialize footwear midsoles made entirely from recycled PET bottles. This innovation, utilizing recycled thermoplastic polyester elastomer (rTPEE), offers environmental benefits while maintaining high performance.

The rTPEE midsoles have been adopted by French brand SALOMON for its Solamphibian shoes, offering reduced carbon emissions by 10-30% compared to traditional materials. FENC’s approach aligns with the circular economy, promoting fully recyclable shoe designs using single-material concepts.

FENC also developed FENC® TopGreen® AirTek PU, harnessing CO₂ for non-toxic, high-performance materials, marking a significant reduction in carbon emissions. Recognized with the Innovation Award "Best CO2 Utilisation 2025," this achievement underscores FENC’s commitment to sustainable innovation.