Adidas has sold around 1 million trainers made from plastic from the oceans in the past year. It worked with the environmental initiative Parley to do so.
The German sportswear giant is currently investing heavily in new technologies and new materials. In 2016, it first started selling the UltraBoost shoe, a trainer made from plastic extracted from the ocean. Even then, the company expressed an ambition to produce a million pairs. It succeeded, CEO Kasper Rosted told US news website CNBC.
Each pair of shoes equals 11 plastic bottles. Among other things, Adidas wants to use these shoes to help reduce excess plastic in the world. For example, Americans alone use an average of 500 million plastic straws every day, not to mention other forms of plastic. It is a habit with many consequences: a lot of plastic (as much as 8 million tonnes a year, according to the latest studies) ends up in oceans, polluting the water and killing animals. Much plastic even eventually finds its way back into our food.
To tackle this problem and build a more sustainable business plan, Adidas partnered with Parley for the Oceans. Together, they looked for a way to give the millions of kilos of plastic polluting the oceans a new purpose. Adidas came up with the clever idea of making shoes out of the plastic.
Boost technology
To make the trainers, the Boost technology developed by Adidas itself is used. It was introduced as a revolutionary cushioning system that delivers the highest energy return in any running shoe. The technology is designed to provide runners with soft cushioning and long-lasting energy that more rigid trainers could not.
What makes the cushioning in Boost different from other trainers is the material. Adidas partnered with leading chemical company BASF to develop a solid granular material that was blown up and converted into thousands of tiny energy capsules. When assembled to form the individual boost midsole, the capsules store more energy than any other design on the market.
Trainer innovation across the industry involves a lot of research and development, but often means a lot of trial and error. To consumers, new technology can seem gimmicky, as brands come up with air units, special foams and such pre-performances. Boost is far from a gimmick and its use continues to expand in Adidas' product line. The same technology that kept runners comfortable during long distances is now being used for basketball shoes, football shoes, lifestyle trainers and even modernised brand classics like the Superstar. Many users are positive about the UltraBoost shoe.
3D printing
Adidas is also already making significant strides in 3D printing shoes. Among other things, it invested in a US 3D printing company, which enabled it to bring 3D printed, customised shoes to market. The sports company expects to sell 100,000 3D printed shoes this year.
By: Kelly Bakker
Source: Adidas/CNBC
