An eco-friendly shoe will be featured at the World Cup

The 2026 World Cup witnessed an unprecedented historical event: the debut of the first eco-friendly football boot in the tournament's history. Named "Scudita Kaizen," the boot was designed by Spaniard Sergio Miniana and worn by Norwegian star Morten Thorsby during the World Cup. This innovation stemmed from a collaboration that began nearly four years prior between Miniana and Jake Hardy, founder of the "Suketu" brand. Hardy's inspiration came after a trip to Vietnam where he was shocked by the mountains of discarded football boots. The duo successfully transformed their idea into reality by using sustainable materials such as corn, bananas, bamboo, and sugarcane. The boot reached the World Cup after having already proven its effectiveness in the English, Spanish, and Italian leagues, as well as the Africa Cup of Nations. Thorsby was chosen to launch the boot, given his well-known environmental activism and his motto, "We play with environmental purity." He and his teammates, including Erling Haaland, led the Norwegian national team to the World Cup, reaching the Round of 16 against Brazil, following the boot's impressive debut against France, led by Kylian Mbappé. The Spanish newspaper Marca's website quoted Miniana as saying, "It's a great honor to see my boots at the World Cup, especially knowing that the player himself was involved in their design and details." The London-based company, which employs 14 people, relies on players as partners and investors in the design process, attracting around 100 international players, most notably Nigerian Alex Iwobi and American DeAndre Yedlin, along with nearly 30 NBA players.