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Adidas used plastic trash to create new sneakers
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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A huge number of specialists are trying to come up with a way to utilize the plastic waste that has filled the world's oceans. At this time, some companies are already fighting plastic with their own methods and developing ways that allow using at least part of the floating plastic.
Adidas is no exception, having already produced a trial model of sneakers made entirely from waste materials.
The new sneakers are made from the remains of poaching nets caught by the private company Sea Shepherd. According to Kirill Gutsch, founder of the new Adidas-funded company Parley for the Oceans, these illegally placed nets have covered the entire seabed, killing almost every fish swimming nearby.
To create the new sneakers, Adidas used the same technologies that were used to create zero-waste shoes. Special knitting allows for zero-waste production, as there is no need to create patterns like on regular shoes. According to one of the Adidas Group members, only the necessary amount of material is used to create the shoes, so nothing goes to waste.
At this stage, the company has decided to use ocean garbage in its work, which floats in huge quantities, so there will be no problems with raw materials and at the end of the year the company plans to produce a whole line of shoes.
The sneakers will not be made from tiny plastic particles, but the company noted that this may change over time. According to Gutsch, it can take several days to collect one spoonful of tiny plastic, and there are currently no methods available to speed up the process.
The company's main goal is to prevent plastic waste from entering the ocean; for example, Parley for the Oceans is currently developing methods that will help intercept plastic that ends up in the ocean.
The company noted that a plastic that is completely different from what we are used to is needed, and there are quite a few problems with this. Plastic should not be found in wildlife, should not become fish food, etc., the only thing that can be done today is to reinvent plastic. Using environmentally friendly chemistry, the organization is trying to develop a plastic that will completely dissolve in the environment. According to Gutsch, this is exactly what the new plastic should be, but modern knowledge and technology practically do not allow achieving the desired result, and the company is doing everything in its power today - cleaning the ocean from existing garbage, which saves the lives of millions of ocean inhabitants. Even a small piece of collected plastic is a saved life of a turtle, bird or whale.
At the moment, Adidas is only trying to use the new material, but it is possible that waste plastic will be included in other products, for example, used in the production of T-shirts, shorts, etc.