Adidas develops running shoes that can be recycled

Adidas is making athletic shoes made from 100 percent reusable material that can be turned into future product

Spotted: Germany-based shoe giant Adidas has developed running shoes made from 100 percent recyclable material. The idea is that customers will be able to return the shoes to the company instead of throwing them away. Once back with the company, they can be broken down into material to be used in a new pair.

Futurecraft Loop shoes are made with reusable thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and do not contain glue. When they are worn to the point where they would normally be discarded, they can be sent back to Adidas. They are then washed, ground down to pellets and melted into a material that can be part of new shoes.

“Taking plastic waste out of the system is the first step, but we can’t stop there,” said Eric Liedtke, an Adidas executive board member. “Our dream is that you can keep wearing the same shoes over and over again.”

The company says the shoes will meet the same performance standards of its other high-performance athletic footwear. The Futurecraft Loop line, including the return and recycling process, is being tested in a beta program. A proper release is planned for the spring/summer of 2021.