Invited by Berke Icten, Chairman of TASD, to keynote the annual global Footwear Congress in Istanbul, attended by more than 500 leaders from the world's leading shoe manufacturers.
Matthew GriffinFounder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
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Berke Icten, Chairman of TASD, invited Matthew to Istanbul to keynote this year's global Footwear Congress, where more than 500 leaders from the world's leading shoe manufacturers met to discuss the future of their industry. As Matthew pointed out, footwear is the only industry that sells to every individual on the planet: everyone has at least one pair of shoes, but not everyone has a credit card, a smartphone, or even electricity or water.
In a keynote titled The Future of Footwear he traced the history of this iconic industry, then showed how emerging technologies are changing how shoes are designed, manufactured and recycled. He explored how companies could redesign their business models and use shoes to help predict people's health, and set out the new EU ESG and reporting directives coming into force in 2024.
"Everyone in the world has at least one pair of shoes, but not everyone has a credit card, a computer, a smartphone, or even electricity or water. This is an industry like no other."Matthew Griffin, Istanbul, April 2024
He also covered the circular economy, new materials for performant and sustainable footwear, on demand 3D printing and robotic manufacturing, virtual reality design tools, and the hunt for the ultimate one size fits all, infinitely recyclable miracle material.
He closed on recycling. With only a fraction of shoes recycled and billions of pairs going to landfill every year, and with soles among the most complex kinds of apparel to recycle, he showed the latest recycling breakthroughs and urged the footwear and recycling industries to work together so that, eventually, none of the shoes we buy end up in landfill.
311 Intelligence
What this means for your leadership team
Reach brings responsibility.
Footwear sells to every individual on the planet. At that scale, billions of pairs going to landfill every year is a problem that is hard to hide, and buyers and regulators are likely to notice it.
Rules arrive before the fix.
New EU ESG and reporting directives come into force in 2024. Soles are among the most complex kinds of apparel to recycle, so design choices made now will shape what a company can later report.
Make the product part of the loop.
On demand 3D printing, robotic manufacturing and virtual reality design tools change how products are made. 311 data places the circular economy at wide use around 2032, and infinitely recyclable plastics are at a technology readiness level of 6.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
Which of our products would be hardest to recycle today?
Are our design choices ready for new reporting rules?
Who in our supply chain must we work with on recycling?
The trends and technologies behind this session
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
What does the footwear session mean for organisations in other sectors?
Any firm that sells physical goods faces the same pressures: new reporting rules, waste and the need to redesign products and business models. Footwear shows these pressures at the largest possible scale.
How does the circular economy relate to footwear?
The circular economy is about keeping materials in use rather than sending them to landfill. For shoes, with complex soles and billions of pairs discarded each year, it means redesigning products so they can be recovered and remade. 311 rates it Explore, with wide use around 2032.
How do infinitely recyclable plastics relate to footwear?
Matthew described the hunt for a one size fits all, infinitely recyclable miracle material. Plastics designed to be broken down and remade without losing strength point in that direction. 311 rates them Explore, with wide use around 2032.
How can 311 brief our leadership team on this?
311 offers a private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector. It is delivered in person first.
Bring this to your leadership teamA private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector. In person first, anywhere in the world.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s session and 311 data.
If Matthew gave this session today
Hundreds of emerging technologies, and what they mean.
The Future of Exponential Technology Codex explores hundreds of emerging technologies and their implications for industry, building on the materials and manufacturing advances Matthew showed the world's shoemakers.
