Ever thought the running shoes you wear could actually protect Mother Earth? If you think that synthetically manufactured shoes can never be of any good use to the environment, then the latest launch by Asics, the Earth Day Pack of shoes, is what you need to check out.
The range includes their four key running shoes - Gel Nimbus 23, Glideride 2, Gel-Resolution 8 and Tarther Blast, and a range of clothing. The collection is created through a special circular manufacturing approach that used five tonnes of textile waste that's equivalent of 25,000 T-shirts that are recycled as new shoes.
The socklining of the shoes hs been developed through a resource-saving technology called solution dyeing that redues carbon-di-oxide emissions by around 45 per cent and cuts water use by 33 per cent, compared to conventional dyeing processes.
"It is said that only 1% of the world’s textile waste is upcycled while over 70% of apparel ends up in landfill or incinerators. By continuing to innovate the manufacturing process across all our product categories, we can help build a circular economy and mitigate the impact of climate change," says Yasuhito Hirota, President and COO at Asics.
The footwear is imprinted with a sunflower icon symbolising the brand's commitment to the planet. Along with this logo, an intricate seed graphic is visible, and it represents the brand's commitment to planting seeds for a brighter future. The two arrows in the centre of the emblem denote the brand's ambition to help build a circular economy.
However, the percentage of recylced materials used varies from product to product and some use of polyester is necessary.
The Earth Day Pack’s launch follows the release of the Sunrise Reborn Pack earlier this year. Made in part from recycled clothing collected in Japan, it employed the same advanced technology to create a range of upcycled apparel and footwear for the Japan team to wear during an international sporting event.