adidas has announced the launch of a new collaboration with sustainable footwear label Allbirds. The partnership will see the two brands tackle an ambitious goal of producing a performance sneaker that "emits as close to zero carbon possible"
To this end, Adidas and Allbirds will share their sustainability innovations, with the end goal of creating a sports performance shoe with the lowest ever carbon footprint. The two brands will look at every element of the supply chain, including the material choices, manufacturing facilities and methods of transportation. The shoe will then be analysed using Allbirds and Adidas’ life cycle assessment tool and carbon footprint tools.
Since 2019, Allbirds has made carbon emission reduction a top priority, introducing a “carbon tax” to offset emissions and partnering with Clean Agency to calculate its carbon footprint and give each of its shoe styles a carbon rating.
In January, Adidas pledged to reduce its carbon footprint by 30 per cent by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2050. It also pledged to use only recyclable polyester in all its products by 2024.
While the companies aren’t sharing specific details, reports suggest that they’re planning to combine their respective areas of expertise to create a shoe that has a carbon footprint of just 2 kg compared to the average 12.5 kg of other sneakers on the market. “Allbirds’ goal is redesigning the sneaker from the ground up,” says James Carnes, VP of brand strategy at Adidas. “Adidas’s goal is to sustainably manufacture at scale.”
They hope to release a shoe in the next year.