Bio-Based Adhesives See Higher Adoption in Footwear Manufacturing
Driven by environmental rules, changing customer tastes, and developments in green chemistry, the footwear sector is clearly moving toward bio-based adhesives in 2025. This trend shows a more general change in the Chemicals & Materials Market in 2025, as firms are under more and more pressure to cut dependence on materials produced from fossils.
Major chemical companies have extended their bio-adhesive products throughout 2025 to satisfy footwear demand. Designed especially for Asian-Pacific sports footwear companies, Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik (BASF) has revealed the creation of a new range of bio-based polyurethane adhesives with low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) emissions. Likewise, Henkel's 2025 sustainability report noted an 18 -percent rise in demand for their Technomelt bio-adhesive line in the footwear and garment sectors.
Changing regulations for 2025 are hastening acceptance. Under REACH rules, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has set higher VOC criteria, which forces a review of synthetic adhesives used in European footwear manufacture. In response, some companies—including Adidas and Puma—have promised to switch some of their glue consumption to bio-based substitutes by 2025.
Strategic alliances aiming at circularity are also seen developing in the Chemicals & Materials Market in 2025. To test low-carbon adhesive methods, Evonik Industries formed a joint venture with a top OEM from Southeast Asia in March 2025. Early 2025 saw the commencement of a funding program by India's Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) aimed at accelerating indigenous Research and Development (R&D) in plant-based adhesives for industrial uses, including footwear.
Up from 7 percent in 2023, market experts estimate that bio-adhesives in the footwear sector will make 12–15 percent of all adhesive consumption by the conclusion of 2025. This expansion has long-term ramifications for sustainability criteria, production techniques, and raw material procurement throughout the Chemicals & Materials Market in 2025.
