These Shoes are Garbage… and That’s a Good Thing
Here’s how one man’s trash became another man’s treasure.
It’s not every day you tell someone their new shoes are garbage – and you mean it as a compliment. Yet that’s the ironic praise being heaped on legendary shoemaker Adidas and its new line crafted from recycled ocean plastic.
The fact that Adidas sold a million pairs in 2017 is testament to the fact there are eco-friendly individuals eager to put their money where their mouth – and feet – are.
Ocean Plastic becomes Recycling Treasure
Here’s how one man’s trash became another man’s treasure. Adidas teamed up with Parley for the Oceans, an environmental organization that addresses threats towards the oceans from plastic pollution – to create a shoe line made from plastic ocean debris. We’re down with that in a big way!
Adidas has also created Parley swimwear, which uses recycled fishing nets that are upcycled into a fiber that offers the same properties as the regular nylon used to make swimwear. Smart, huh? But, back to the shoes…
While you wouldn’t dream of intentionally slipping your feet into ocean trash, it becomes a good fit when those shoes look great and do a fine job of decreasing the plastic pollution in our oceans.
On the heels of the success of these shoes, Adidas has since added three more versions of shoes cobbled from ocean plastics.
Each pair of shoes reuses 11 plastic bottles!
By the end of the year, Adidas hopes to have 5 million people standing tall in shoes made from ocean trash. Head of Global Brands for Adidas, Eric Liedtke, says that by 2024, Adidas wants to piece together all of its products from recycled ocean plastics.
We have a responsibility to help change the world.
“As a global brand we have a responsibility to help change the world for the better,” proclaimed Mathias Amm, Product Category Director of Adidas Running.
Wow! We love it when we see such a commitment to a cause that is near and dear to our heart. It begs the question: if Adidas can take the time to build and sell more than a million pairs of shoes made from garbage, maybe I can give up using a single-use plastic straw this week? Just sayin'.