Article Written By: Kyle Kyungwon Park
Adidas AG, a leading industry when it comes to footwear, has presented news that they will be unveiling a product that is the first 100 percent recyclable running shoe.
It is true to a great extent that sports footwear is gradually developing into products with complex material mixes and component gluing, resulting in a final shoe that can only be downcycled. Nonetheless, Adidas' brand new phenomenon is spurring interest from all four corners of the world. The Loop Shoe Futurecraft is a product focused on becoming environmentally friendly and expanding the barriers of an individual's creativity. The innovative model is made only using thermoplastic polyurethane that can be easily washed by the owner. Due to the staggering number of complex materials and glues dominating the construction process, it is practically impossible to recycle present-day shoes.
In the past, Adidas has had some experience with the idea of a fully recyclable shoe. As of 2015, Adidas has been working with Parley for the Oceans to generate shoes through the usage of an upper made with marine debris, waste in nearby beaches, and abandoned locations.
With Futurecraft.Loop, the worldwide company collaborated with material development, manufacturing and recycling partners across Europe, North America, and Asia to find the ideal way of approaching the assignment.
Tanyaradzwa Sahanga, manager of Futurecraft.Loop project stated, "There were several times when it didn't seem like we could get over some of the technical hurdles - now we've made the imperative leap. We're extremely excited to see this product come to life in the future years."
Futurecraft.Loop will not greet the public before mid-2021. Until then, it is highly likely that anticipation and curiosity will fill the atmosphere of our own society.
Bibliography (MLA 8 FORMAT):
Website Citations:
Website 1:
Alvarez, Edgar. “Adidas Made a Running Shoe That's Fully Recyclable.” Engadget, 17 Apr. 2019, www.engadget.com/2019/04/17/adidas-futurecraft-loop-recycled-running-shoes-sustainability-speedfactory/.
Website 2:
Burgess, Matt. “A New Adidas Shoe Uses Just One Material – and Is Fully Recyclable.” WIRED, WIRED UK, 17 Apr. 2019, www.wired.co.uk/article/adidas-futurecraft-loop-running-shoe-recycle.
Photo Citations:
Photo 1:
Laird, Karen. “Adidas Introduces Fully Recyclable Running Shoe.” Plastics News, 19 Apr. 2019, www.plasticsnews.com/article/20190419/NEWS/190401657/adidas-introduces-fully-recyclable-running-shoe.
Photo 2:
Breyer, Melissa. “Adidas Unveils Running Shoes That Never Have to Be Thrown Away.” TreeHugger, Treehugger, 18 Apr. 2019, www.treehugger.com/sustainable-fashion/adidas-futurecraft-loop-fully-recyclable-shoe.html.