adidas is Making Shoes from ‘Up-cycled’ Ocean Plastic
Photo: adidas
adidas has created a running shoe made from recycled marine plastics as part of its push toward eco-innovation and wider use of sustainable materials
Each year more and more plastic is finding its way into the world’s oceans, collecting in gigantic circling whirlpools at sea, sinking to the seafloor or washing back up onto our shores. This plastic is often ingested by aquatic life and seabirds who mistake these fragments for food, and is even found in supermarket shellfish.
Now footwear and apparel brand adidas has teamed up with environmental group Parley for the Oceans to create and market the first mass-produced running shoe made of “up-cycled” marine plastic waste recovered via cleanup operations in coastal areas of the Maldives.
With an aesthetic design inspired by ocean waves, the UltraBOOST Uncaged Parley shoe features a knitted upper created with 95 percent ocean plastic and 5 percent recycled polyester, while its laces, heel cap base material, heel webbing, heel lining and the sock-liner cover are also made of recycled materials. The shoe’s upper reuses 11 plastic water bottles.
Initially 7,000 pairs are available. The goal of the sneaker, according to the shoe company, is to help drive global awareness and comprehensive solutions to the threat of ocean plastic pollution.
With this same goal, adidas has also produced soccer jerseys for world clubs Bayern Munich and Real Madrid created with retrieved marine plastic debris, featuring water-based environmentally friendly prints, which the teams each wore during separate matches in November 2016.
“We have not only managed to make footwear from recycled ocean plastic, but have also created the first jersey coming 100 percent out of the ocean,” said Eric Liedtke, adidas Group Executive Board member responsible for Global Brands.
“But we won’t stop there,” Liedtke continued. “We will make one million pairs of shoes using Parley Ocean Plastic in 2017 – and our ultimate ambition is to eliminate virgin plastic from our supply chain.”
While sneakers have long been a major contributor to global pollution, adidas’ new greener offering is part of the footwear maker’s larger push to reduce its environmental footprint as it strives to increase the use of sustainable materials in its products and make eco-innovation the new industry standard.
This target will see at least 11 million bottles retrieved by the Parley Global Clean-up Network recycled and repurposed into sportswear.
“At this point, it’s no longer just about raising awareness. It’s about taking action and implementing strategies that can end the cycle of plastic pollution for good,” said Cyrill Gutsch, Founder, Parley for the Oceans. “Eco-innovation is an open playing field. With the release of the Ocean Plastic jerseys and UltraBOOST Uncaged adidas x Parley shoes, we’re inviting every consumer, player, team and fan to own their impact under Parley A.I.R. and define their role within the movement.”
February 2024
