After launching the vegan SuperEarth sneaker in collaboration with Sean Wotherspoon last month, adidas has decided to release yet another eco-friendly collection.
This time, it’s a reinvention of adidas Original’s most iconic sneakers. There are six new environmentally-friendly designs, which together make up the Clean Classics line. The six styles that have been redesigned include the Superstar, Stan Smith, Continental 80, Top Ten Hi, Supercourt, and Superstar Bold.
Similar to the SuperEarth sneaker, the goal of the Clean Classics line is primarily to address the issue of plastic waste. Each pair of shoes has been specially designed to have a lower carbon footprint than its predecessor.
Each sneaker in adidas’ new Clean Classics line has a wide range of eco-friendly design details. First, every single shoe is 100% vegan. Second, the uppers are made from 70% recycled materials, while the upper lining is made entirely out of recycled polyester. Third, the soles are made out of what adidas calls “Better Rubber,” a sustainable compound that is 90% natural rubber and 10% recycled rubber. Sneaker soles also use Bloom Foam, a material created out of algae, which helps keep lakes clean.
Further, fans of the original styles will notice a change to the look of the uppers. That is because the brand has adopted a new pattern-cutting process for the Clean Classics line that reduces waste. The result? A simpler, cleaner look that fits quite well with the aim of the Clean Classics collection.
The sock liners are also eco-friendly, being made from either cork (a renewable, recyclable, non-toxic material), or recycled OrthoLite, a blend of 15% recycled OrthoLite, 6% bio-oil, and 5% recycled rubber.
Yet another cool feature? The laces on each pair of Clean Classics sneakers are made out of paper. Finally, even the boxes that the sneakers come in are environmentally-friendly. Each box is made out of leftover stock cardboard that was either damaged or had print errors. Like the uppers of the sneakers, the boxes were also cut more efficiently, which led to random patterns that differ between boxes.
Interested in shopping for the Clean Classics collection? Prices range from $85 to $145 USD and there are a variety of colours available for both men and women, including Cloud White, Green, Collegiate Royal, and Scarlet. Each sneaker features “The Clean Classics” branding on the tongue, while only two versions, both Superstars, feature a handwritten message on the heel that reads, “This shoe alone will not save the planet.”
This phrase seems to be a recognition on the part of adidas that no single pair of shoes can reverse climate change, but it’s a start, and they intend to continue making their products more sustainable moving forward. As adidas writes on their website, “While these shoes alone will not save the planet, they’re a step in the right direction.” It will also hopefully encourage others to think about their own carbon footprint and how they might be able to reduce waste in their own lives in order to save the planet.
Keep your eyes peeled as the collection will launch online and in stores on September 10, 2020.
All images in this article are courtesy of adidas.
