Being close to Kennett Square, the Mushroom Capital of the World, is vital to Jillian Silverman, a graduate student in fashion at the University of Delaware who designs sustainable shoes made in part out of mushrooms, writes Kristen Schmitt for Smithsonian magazine.

“This offers opportunities for local sourcing and the expertise of the nearby mushroom farms and growers,” said Silverman.

The student, who focuses on environmental sustainability, recently finished a prototype shoe that combines mushrooms, agriculture waste, and fabric scraps. She said that, in sea of fashion fabrics that are either not compostable or take a long time to break down, her shoes are made of everything natural, biodegradable, and nontoxic.

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“It’s a perfect solution to reducing the impacts of textile waste, reducing toxic inputs, and using all renewable inputs,” she said.

The designer decided on mushrooms because mushroom mycelium naturally binds together other materials as it grows. After the testing period, the student decided to use oyster mushrooms for their superior aesthetics and strength.

According to Silverman, her biodegradable, mushroom-based sole could replace rubber and other environmentally damaging components in shoes.

Read more shoes made out of mushrooms in Smithsonian magazine here.

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