What is Mushroom Leather?
Last updated 2026-05-24
Mushroom leather is a bio-based material made from mycelium — the root network of mushrooms — grown into sheets that mimic the look, feel, and durability of animal leather. It is animal-free, biodegradable, and produced with significantly lower environmental impact than chrome-tanned leather. The two leading mushroom-leather brands are Mylo (developed by Bolt Threads, used by Stella McCartney, Adidas, and Lululemon) and Reishi (developed by MycoWorks, used by Hermès for the Victoria bag). Production typically takes one to three weeks — mycelium is grown on a substrate, harvested as a sheet, then tanned and finished using lower-impact processes than animal leather. The material is still in early commercial scale, which keeps prices high. Most mushroom leather products are positioned at the luxury or premium tier — handbags, watch straps, and small leather goods rather than mass-market sneakers or jackets. As production scales, prices are expected to fall and the material to enter mid-range fashion within the next 5 to 10 years.
Mira chose a Stella McCartney Mylo Falabella bag over the standard polyurethane version. Two years later, the mushroom leather had softened naturally — much like real leather — without the cracking that often appears in PU bags after long use.
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Questions, answered.
Is mushroom leather as durable as real leather?
Quality mushroom leather from Mylo and Reishi performs comparably to mid-grade animal leather in tear strength and longevity. It does not yet match the centuries-of-care durability of premium full-grain leather but is significantly more durable than first-generation vegan leathers.
How is mushroom leather different from cactus leather?
Both are plant-based vegan leathers but use different source materials. Mushroom leather is grown from mycelium; cactus leather is made from mature nopal cactus leaves. Mushroom leather has a softer, more leather-like hand; cactus leather tends to be slightly stiffer.
Why is mushroom leather expensive?
Production scale is still small, and bio-based materials require longer growing and processing cycles than petroleum-based alternatives. As Mylo, Reishi, and other producers scale, prices are expected to fall significantly over the next 5 to 10 years.