Fashion statements can occasionally have global effects. The statement of Adidas’ new 3D-printed sneakers: recycle.
The shoe company has dabbled before in using recycled materials in their new products. Just earlier this year Adidas released a prototype with an upper made out of plastic scooped from the ocean.
In a partnership with Parley for the Oceans, a collaborative group dedicated to preserving and cleaning our planet’s delicate oceans, Adidas took the recycled-footwear idea a step further.
The new shoe concept features a 3D-printed insole made from ocean plastic, such as recycled polyamide and gill nets, plus an upper also made from ocean plastic materials.
(Image courtesy of Adidas)“The industry can’t afford to wait for directions any longer,” said Adidas executive Eric Liedtke in a press release. “The 3D-printed ocean plastic shoe midsole stands for how we can set new industry standards if we start questioning the reason of what we create.”
At this point, the shoe remains only a prototype, but marks a decided push to explore the realm of sustainable manufacturing.
“We want to bring everyone from the industry to the table and create sustainable solutions for big global problems,” Liedtke said.
Do you think recycled materials will find their way into the mainstream of manufacturing? Comment below or tweet @MNetKatie.
Filed Under: Industrial automation
