adidas + parley release consumer-ready running shoes made from up-cycled ocean plastics

adidas + parley release consumer-ready running shoes made from up-cycled ocean plastics
all images courtesy of adidas

in june 2015, adidas and parley for oceans revealed an unique prototype shoe made simply from up-cycled marine plastic waste. over the last year, the partnership with the help of designer alexander taylor, worked to master production of the technical yarn fiber that can be used for performance products – the result is a limited edition shoe available to the public using the same materials as the prototype. 

‘a designer can be the agitator and the agent for change. he must be entrepreneurial in spirit, seeking out collaborators to reach amazing solutions which outperform and offer truly viable alternatives to current methods,’ explains industrial designer alexander taylor.

video courtesy of adidas

‘this adidas x parley running shoe is already iconic,’ said eric liedtke, adidas executive board member responsible for global brands. ‘it’s a shoe for game changers. we can’t wait to hear the stories of those who stand up, suggest creative solutions, take action and want to join us on our journey to clean up the oceans.’

the updated shoe includes laces and integrated white soles

the upper shoe is made from parley ‘ocean plastic’, which is collected in coastal areas in the maldives, and includes illegal deep-sea gillnets. using tailored fiber technology from adidas’ ‘futurecraft’ projects, the technique enables unique footwear designed to be tailored to the individual needs of any athlete. people around the world are being given until the end of july 2016 to enter a contest to earn one of the 50 available pairs on the parley website. 

‘so much work has happened behind the scenes since we launched our partnership with adidas. we are creating new standards, new materials and technologies that are so different to those the sporting goods industry is used to,’ explains cyrill gutsch, founder of parley for the oceans. ‘it is an ongoing challenge, but we achieved the first step. now we can replace new plastic with recycled marine plastic debris: parley ocean plastic. we can create footwear and apparel products with it and we are ready to scale it up.’

the upper shoe made from ocean plastics