Textile and Apparel Science

The Development and Customer Acceptance of Shoes With Soles Made From Mushroom Mycelium Composite

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Abstract

The purpose of this researchwas to develop new shoe soles and shoe prototypes using a biodegradable andsustainable material made out of the King Oyster mushroom mycelium and evaluatethe customer acceptance of the shoes. The mycelium bio composites weredeveloped following a previous study. The Espadrille platform-style slip-onshoe prototypes were developed using the composites in soles. A survey with 243participants was conducted to evaluate the customer acceptance of the shoes.Among these participants, 190 from the USA, 50 from India, 3 from othercountries or did not disclose country. There were 127 males, 114 females, andtwo did not disclose gender. The participants liked the new sustainablefootwear and likely to purchase it. Indian consumers significantly more likethe product and more likely to purchase than the U.S. consumers. There was nosignificant different opinion between males and females on the shoes.

Keywords: Mycelium, Biodegradable, Footwear, Sustainability

How to Cite:

Wolfe, M. & Cao, H., (2022) “The Development and Customer Acceptance of Shoes With Soles Made From Mushroom Mycelium Composite”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 78(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.13550