Adidas’ latest invention is recyclable running shoes, which have infinite number of lives. Once the owner no longer wants to use them, he can send them back to Adidas. In their recycling station, the company then gives the shoes another life.
I am a true running addict, who is also a dedicated nature lover and very active environmental conservation advocate. For me, the greatest joy of running comes when I am out in nature, breathe clean air, listen to the birds and see the beauty of the trees and the flowers. I don’t know about you guys, but this gives me such an enormous uplift.
I would like to do anything possible to preserve this, and therefore it is not a surprise that I am meticulous when it comes to recycling. This is also the reason why I got super excited when I read about the latest development from Adidas.
“Made to be remade”. This is how Adidas refers to their latest super-invention- the Futurecraft Loop. This is a pair of running shoes with a humble design and understated look, but carrying a huge message.
The shoes are made of 100% recyclable material.
I know, it is a bit hard to believe. This is especially the case since we have been misled before. Many companies claim that their shoes can be fully recycled, but face the problem of having to disassemble and separate the different materials that make up the shoes. Needless to say, this often proves to be an impossible task, and the old shoes end up in landfills anyway.
Unlike all those hoaxes, Adidas really means it. As Eric Liedtke, Executive Board Member at Adidas and head of Global Brands, points out, his “army of innovators” worked on solving this exact issue for over six years. It all paid off in the end, as these guys came up with a single material that makes the entire shoe- reusable thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). This material not only allows 100% recycling, but also it makes the shoes immortal.
Adidas plans to embrace this by giving the shoes an endless number of lives.
Of course, the shoe owners need to do their part too, but I am sure it will not bother anyone. Once they finish using the shoes, she (or he) should send them back to Adidas. The shoes will then get cleaned up, ground to pellets and turned into material for a new pair of shoes.
No waste, no hassle.
I honestly cannot wait to give these shoes a try. Unfortunately, at the moment, they are only available to a few lucky test group members. I truly hope that we will see these on the store shelves not long from now.
Image (c) Adidas
Probably you are competitor …. my shoes were always excellent …
Well Adidas does not have a good track record of great designs, the laces on my last pair just ripped the holes they were in, so I hope it’s not the same polyurethane. But it’s a good intent.