A New Chapter for SAYE and a New Generation of Materials
Celebrating 8 Years of SAYE with the Lignify® Edition
Eight years ago, SAYE started with a simple idea: sneakers could be made differently. What began as a mission to create responsible footwear has evolved into something much bigger: a constant exploration of better materials, better processes, and deeper impact. To celebrate our 8th anniversary, we are proud to introduce a collection that represents the next step in that journey.
Welcome to SAYE 8 Lignify® Edition.
A collection of 8 sneakers crafted with lignin, a natural material found inside trees that is usually discarded by the paper industry. It is the substance that gives wood its strength, rigidity, and resistance. Without lignin, trees wouldn't be able to stand upright. Every year, the paper industry extracts cellulose from wood to produce paper and other products. During this process, millions of tons of lignin are separated and treated as industrial waste. But what if that waste could become something valuable? This is where Lignify® comes in.
Meet Lignify®
An innovative material company focused on transforming lignin into high-performance materials. Through their technology, lignin (once discarded) can be turned into a plant-based leather alternative that is strong, flexible, and durable enough to be used in footwear. For the SAYE 8 collection, we partnered with Lignify® to incorporate this material across the entire release. The result is a new generation of sneakers that: look like leather, feel like leather... But originate from plants. This collaboration allows us to reduce dependence on traditional materials while exploring circular alternatives that start from existing waste streams. Waste, reimagined.
The SAYE 8 Lignify® Edition features 8 sneakers across two of our most iconic silhouettes:
4 M89 Icon
4 M70 Soul
Each pair crafted with Lignify® as a leather alternative. These Modelos combine the timeless design language of SAYE with a new approach to material innovation. The result is a collection that feels familiar, but represents something entirely new.
Because It Comes From Trees, It Gives Back to Them
This collection starts with trees. So we wanted its impact to reflect that origin. For the launch of the Lignify® Edition, every pair purchased will plant 4 trees in Kenya instead of our usual 2. This initiative is made possible through our partner Greenspark, whose technology allows us to track the impact of our environmental projects in real time. Through this platform we can monitor: where trees are planted, the progress of restoration projects, and the long-term environmental impact. We know that transparency and accountability are essential to building real change.
