Adidas Creates Zero Waste Sneakers Made From Ocean Plastic

Sportswear giant Adidas debuted fully recyclable, zero waste sneakers made from reclaimed ocean plastic to help the environment.

The new Futurecraft.LOOP fully recyclable performance sneakers has an upper made entirely of yarn as well as filaments recycled and reclaimed from ocean plastic waste found on beaches, remote islands, and coastal communities.

Once worn out or damaged, the shoes can be brought back to Adidas to be broken down then reused to create new sneakers — unlocking a circular future for sportswear.

Specifically, the returned sneakers will be “washed, ground to pellets, and melted into material for components for a new pair of shoes.”

“Taking plastic waste out of the system is the first step, but we can’t stop there,” Eric Liedtke, Executive Board Member at Adidas, said in a statement.

“What happens to your shoes after you’ve worn them out? You throw them away – except there is no away. There are only landfills and incinerators and ultimately an atmosphere choked with excess carbon or oceans filled with plastic waste.

“The next step is to end the concept of ‘waste’ entirely. Our dream is that you can keep wearing the same shoes over and over again.”

Adidas announced that it will produce 11 million pairs of sneakers containing recycled ocean plastic waste this year and will commit to using only recycled polyester in every product.

“FUTURECRAFT.LOOP is our first running shoe that is made to be remade,” Liedtke added.

“It is a statement of our intent to take responsibility for the entire life of our product; proof that we can build high-performance running shoes that you don’t have to throw away.”

“[It] is aimed at tackling the problem of plastic waste, enabling a “closed loop” or circular manufacturing model, where the raw materials can be repurposed again and again. But not just repurposed into a water bottle or a tote, but into another pair of high-performance running shoes.”

The new Adidas Futurecraft.LOOP is already being trialed by beta testers and is expected to be launched in 2021.