Stella McCartney’s Cinnamon-Scented Compostable Sneakers Could Be the Future of Fashion

At Green Prophet, we’ve long tracked the rise of engineered living materials (ELMs), algae-based dyes, and circular fashion startups. Balena’s material joins this new wave of bio-innovation, where fashion is no longer just wearable—it’s regenerative.

The post Stella McCartney’s Cinnamon-Scented Compostable Sneakers Could Be the Future of Fashion appeared first on Green Prophet.

Cinnamon shoes

You can now smell the future of fashion—and it smells like cinnamon.

The latest sneaker drop from sustainable fashion pioneer Stella McCartney isn’t just about style or performance. The S-Wave Sport Trainer, part of her Autumn 2025 collection, is a milestone for circular fashion. The shoe is built with BioCir® Flex, a high-performance, compostable, recyclable, and bio-based material developed by the biomaterials startup Balena.

And the sole? It’s dyed with cinnamon waste. So when you lift your foot, you might catch a whiff of spice: “Smell the sole… it smells of cinnamon! … a closed-loop production… zero waste. It is mind-blowing,” Stella McCartney said at the launch.

This is more than a gimmick. The S-Wave sneaker is a signal to the global fashion industry that the age of fossil-based, forever-waste plastics is coming to an end—and that regenerative biomaterials are ready for prime time. The BioCir® Flex sole, developed by Balena in Tel Aviv, is designed for industrial composting and chemical recycling. That means it can degrade into biomass at end-of-life or be repurposed as feedstock for new products—no microplastics, no incineration, no landfill.

It’s made from renewable resources like castor bean oil, natural sugars, and plant-based elastomers, and carefully engineered to match the durability and elasticity of conventional thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU). In other words, it performs like a modern sports shoe—but returns to the earth or lab when you’re done.

“This collaboration represents a future where materials are truly circular, sustainable, and high-performance,” said David Roubach, founder and CEO of Balena. “It’s a milestone I could only dream of.”

Fashion is one of the most polluting industries on the planet, responsible for up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and an enormous share of synthetic microplastic pollution. Most shoes today—especially those made for sport—are constructed from petroleum-based plastics that take centuries to degrade, if at all.

The S-Wave x Balena project is a proof-of-concept for how future footwear could look, feel, and behave in a circular economy. It’s also a message: luxury and sustainability can co-exist—if designers are willing to work with nature, not against it.

Balena’s rise reflects a growing biomaterials ecosystem in Israel, where startups are turning food waste, seaweed, and microbial cultures into next-gen plastics, leather alternatives, and fibers. By partnering with a global voice like Stella McCartney—who famously avoids animal leather and is leading LVMH’s sustainability strategy—Balena has fast-tracked its tech from lab bench to luxury shelf.

Stella McCartney is going beyond traditional dyes and is using fungus to dye her clothes in Bolt leather

“This is what happens when material science meets design with shared values,” says Roubach. “And we’re only getting started.”

The S-Wave isn’t just compostable. It’s beautiful. It’s functional. And it speaks to a growing cultural shift, especially among younger consumers, toward transparency, ethics, and lifecycle design. With brands like Adidas, Allbirds, and Veja experimenting with similar biomaterials, and designers like Stella McCartney putting compostability on the runway, we’re inching toward a world where your favorite sneaker doesn’t outlive you—or the planet.

And in the meantime, it might just make your feet smell like cinnamon.

Green Prophet tracks emerging biomaterials, circular fashion, and environmental innovation from the Middle East and beyond. Want to pitch your green design breakthrough? Reach us at info@greenprophet.com.

The post Stella McCartney’s Cinnamon-Scented Compostable Sneakers Could Be the Future of Fashion appeared first on Green Prophet.