EARTH VS THE WORLD

In an attempt to make a better and cleaner world, the sneaker industry has come through to save us all. These companies are making sustainable fashion that actually looks good. I’ll be honest when I first heard of sneakers made of recycled plastic and resin my thought were a bit grim. Instantly I thought about the types of sandals Jesus would wear or fashion straight out of a “Mad Max” film. The design of sustainable fashion is now cutting edge technology that combines futuristic design and eco friendly materials.

ADIDAS

Founded in 1924 under the name Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory. Since then Adidas has become a fixture in Hip Hop, starting with RUN DMC endorsing the Adidas shell toe with the song “My Adidas” and currently signing a deal with Kanye West to establish his brand Yeezy. One fun fact is that Adidas made the shoes that sprinter Jesse Owens used at the 1936 Summer Olympics. Adidas has partnered with Parley for the oceans, to produce a shoe made of recycled plastic salvaged from the sea. Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted stated that 1 million pairs of the shoe have been sold. The eco friendly shoes and Adidas End of Life initiative are some examples of progress.

ALLBIRDS

Allbirds co-founder Tim Brown teamed up with Joey Zwillinger, officially launched Allbirds in March 2016. August 2018, Allbirds released flip-flops made from SweetFoam, foam derived from sugarcane. The Company is valued at 1.4 billion dollars. Allbirds, believe it or not, are made of wool, bark, recycled plastic bottles, and the soles are a polyurethane resin made from castor beans. Personally, this company has the greatest variety of colors and I like the simple style of the shoe.
 

NIKE

The company was founded on January 25, 1964, as Blue Ribbon Sports, by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, and officially became Nike, Inc. on May 30, 1971.  Nike has created a number of composite materials. Nike Grind is a patented material made from recycled sneakers and plastic bottles. Nike Fly Leather is recycled leather made from manufacturing scraps produced by Nike’s factories.  Check out their approach to sustainable fashion.