Nike releases trainers made of cork

American footwear manufacturer Nike has released a series of trainers onto the market made from cork.

Announced online on 1 April, the scheme was initially taken to be an April fool, though Nike responded on Twitter insisting that the range “was not a joke”.

Forming part of the NIKEiD Air Force 1 series, customers can design their own cork trainers, using the material on most parts of the shoe, from the overlay and the base to the midsole.

The trainers can be made from either light or dark cork along with a variety of colour options for the branding, laces, midsole stitching, lining and outsole.

Prices range from US$190-200, with the cork option only available for a limited time for both men and women and in both high and low top Air Force 1 design.

This is not the first time Nike has used cork in its footwear. Last year, Nike released the LeBron X EXT Cork Edition in homage to basketball player LeBron James and his team Miami Heat winning the 2013 NBA championship.

“The rite of every champion is the postgame celebration, and nothing is more synonymous with celebrating than the popping of Champagne bottles,” reads the description on the Nike website about the innovative $250 design.

This February, Nike announced that it is working on a design for a pair of trainers with self-tying “power” laces like those worn by Marty McFly in Back to the Future Part II.

Designed by Tinker Hatfield, the self-tying trainers are due for release in 2015 to mark the 30^th anniversary of Back to the Future.