Adidas Shoe Uses Recycled Ocean Plastic, 3D Printing

Adidas has created a concept shoe made with recycled ocean plastic.

The concept shoe consists of an upper made with ocean plastic content and a midsole that is 3D printed using recycled polyester and gill net content. The sports gear and clothing giant says the footwear shows how the industry can rethink design and help stop ocean plastic pollution.

The shoe, created in partnership with Parley for the Oceans, was first announced over the summer. Adidas unveiled it this week at an event organized by Parley for the Oceans, titled “Parley for the Oceans x COP21 — Oceans. Climate. Life.”

As founding member, Adidas supports Parley for the Oceans in its education and communication efforts, as well as its Ocean Plastic Program (A.I.R., Avoid, Intercept, and Redesign) that intends to end plastic pollution of the oceans.

Since the partnership was announced in April 2015, Adidas has taken steps to prevent plastic ocean pollution including phasing out plastic bags in its own retail stores across the Adidas Group. The phase-out has started already and will be completed by the end of Q1 2016.

Adidas has also pledged to end the use of plastic microbeads across all its body care products by Dec. 31 and has stopped using plastic bottles for meetings at its headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany.