Salomon Introduces Fully Recyclable Running Shoe

French sneaker and athleticwear brand Salomon has announced that they will be releasing a 100% recyclable running shoe. Known as the Index.01, the shoe will be available for purchase in spring 2021.

Creating the Index.01 took Salomon’s Annecy Design Centre, located in the French Alps, three years of research and development to complete. The driving force behind this feat was Olivier Mouzin, manager of Salomon’s Footwear Sustainability Program.

According to Mouzin, running shoes are particularly difficult to recycle because they are composed of so many different materials, including leather, EVA, polyester, rubber, and TPU. Thus, even though some of those materials are recyclable, it’s almost impossible to separate those that are and are not recyclable, so the whole thing just ends up in a landfill. In Mouzin’s mind, this was a problem, and that is how Salomon’s Index.01 came to be.

The Index.01 has been hailed as an all-around running shoe that performs well on numerous surfaces including the road. The main difference between it and other running shoes in Salomon’s collection is that it can be recycled and repurposed in the future, rather than ending up in a landfill. 

Salomon’s Index.01 running shoe was constructed using just two materials. Refusing to compromise on either quality or sustainability, they came up with a solution. The bottom of the shoe is made from one material, while the top is made out of another. Salomon’s designers knew that in addition to being recyclable, the bottom portion of the shoe had to deliver on two other fronts: shock absorption and rebound.

The only material that fit this description was a nitrogen-infused, TPU-based foam known as INFINIRIDE. For the top part of the shoe, Salomon opted for recycled polyester. This includes the upper, as well as the thread used to switch the top and bottom together. Further, water-based glue was used to connect the two parts. This simple combination of recycled polyester and TPU ultimately allowed Salomon to achieve their goal, making the Index.01 entirely recyclable.

Salomon also considered the planet when it came to the packaging of the Index.01 shoe. They have stated there will be no extra tags or paper stuffed inside the shoe. Instead, starting in spring 2021, all Salomon footwear will use FSC-certified packaging. Salomon had already made serious changes to their packaging back in 2017 when they eliminated the use of glue and water-based ink, and drastically reduced the amount of cardboard.

How can the consumer recycle the shoe, you may be wondering? Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as throwing it in the blue bin. In order to recycle the Index.01, owners of the shoe must return it to Salomon, where the brand will take care of the recycling themselves. 

To incentivize consumers to take part in this recycling program, they have created an extremely simple online platform whereby users can log onto Salomon’s website, print a free shipping label, and send their shoes to the nearest collection point. Salomon plans to set up collection points in Europe, North America, and Asia.

Once the shoes are in Salomon’s hands, the two parts of the shoe must first be disassembled. To do this, the recycled insole is removed, and then the upper and bottom are separated. From there, the recycled polyester and INFINIRIDE are separately ground into tiny pieces or pellets. Salomon will then combine the TPU-based INIFINIRIDE with virgin TPU to create alpine ski boots that will be part of the brand’s 2022 winter collection. Meanwhile, the recycled polyester will be turned into yarn and weaved into fabric.