On, a Swiss shoe manufacturer, announced the launch of its first shoe made from carbon emissions, called Cloudprime, in partnership with LanzaTech (a next-generation carbon transformation company), Borealis (an Austrian renewable plastic solution provider), and Technip Energies (an engineering and technology company).

Cloudprime is produced from CleanCloud, using ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam made using carbon dioxide (CO2) as a raw material for the shoe bottom unit.

Under the partnership, LanzaTech captured carbon from industrial sites and converted them to produce ethanol, which was dehydrated by Technip Energies to create ethylene and later polymerized by Borealis to produce EVA foam. 

Analyst QuickTake: LanzaTech had previously partnered with On, Borealis, and Technip Energies in September 2021 to produce this new foam material, CleanCloud, for running shoes. CleanCloud was the latest of several carbon utilization pathways explored by LanzaTech in recent times. Previously, LanzaTech had partnered with L’Oreal, Unilever, and Coty to convert CO2 into polyethylene bottles, laundry capsules, and perfumes, respectively.