World-renowned shoemaker Adidas and Parley for the Oceans, an organization dedicated to reducing plastic waste in the world's waters, have teamed up to create arguably the most environmentally friendly shoe ever made. Based on the Adidas Futurecraft 3D, a 3D-printed shoe unveiled earlier this year, the shoe is made out of recycled ocean plastic, according to Business Insider.
The shoe's design consists of an upper that is made from what Adidas and Parley call "ocean plastic content," mainly yarns and filaments reclaimed from ocean waste. The shoe's midsole is also completely made from recycled polyester and gillnets, a deep-sea fishing net, reports The Verge.
The unveiling of the recycled shoe coincides with the Paris climate summit, more commonly known as the COP21. Parley has stated that it is hoping that its partnership with Adidas, as well as the results of the collaboration, will boost the organization's profile in the ongoing climate talks in Paris.
Eric Liedtke, the Adidas Group executive board member responsible for global brands, ssaid the shoe is simply a prototype. However, the company hopes that the design could be mass produced in the near future, according to WWD News.
"As far as commercial timing, we don't know about that yet. It's more a statement of intent of what we hope to do and a challenge for us to make it. Is it possible to produce the shoe on a large scale? That's the dream. We haven't figured everything out yet but we continue to move forward," he said.
The environmentally friendly shoe is not the first green venture of Adidas. The shoemaker has already begun phasing out the use of plastic bags in its retail stores, as well as the use of plastic micro-beads across its body care products by the end of the year.
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