Demetra, named in homage to Greek agricultural goddess Demeter, is composed of "77 percent plant-based raw materials" including bio-based polyurethane from corn and wheat, viscose, and sustainably sourced wood compounds. Produced in Italy, it took Gucci two years of research and development to perfect the Demetra textile and the company has filed for its patents and trademarks. For now, Gucci will be using Demetra to craft their own in-house products, however by 2022 the company plans to open access to Demetra to the fashion industry.

The 'Basket', 'Rhyton', and 'New Ace' are Gucci’s first shoes to be partially crafted from Demetra, demonstrating the textile’s leather-like properties. Unfortunately, Gucci has not disclosed a complete list of materials used in these sneakers on their website, so it's hard to say if all these sneakers are completely vegan or not.

The new #GucciBasket sneaker, inspired by the impact that basketball has had on street culture and style, features a distressed effect, bright details and a groundbreaking eco-friendly material called Demetra, presented recently by the House. #AlessandroMichele pic.twitter.com/DESwVxrtUm

— gucci (@gucci) June 18, 2021

Gucci had been vocal about its focus on sustainability, and just last year it launched its first-ever sustainable fashion collection "Off The Grid". This collection also had a few vegan sneakers crafted using recycled, organic, bio-based, and sustainable materials like ECONYL® .

“In our 100th anniversary year, Demetra is a new category of material that encapsulates Gucci’s quality and aesthetic standards with our desire to innovate, leveraging our traditional skills and know-how to create for an evolving future,” said Marco Bizzarri, President and CEO of Gucci, in a statement. “Demetra offers our industry an easily scalable, alternative choice and a more sustainable material that also answers the needs of animal-free solutions.”

Interestingly, as part of the brand’s commitment to supporting a circular economy and through an extension of its Gucci-Up program, Demetra scraps produced during the manufacturing process will also be upcycled and reused by Gucci. How cool is that?

Images via Gucci