Adidas Designs 3D-Printed Sneakers Made from Plastic Ocean Waste

Earlier this year, German footwear giant Adidas presented their first concept of a sustainable shoe – sneakers made entirely from ocean trash. Now, the company went beyond and came up with a 3D-printed sustainable sneaker concept.

The upper part of the shoe is made from recycled ocean plastic and a 3D-printed midsole is made out of fishing nets called gillnets and recycled polyester.

The design of the shoe is based on the Adidas’ Futurecraft 3D, a new innovative footwear concept unveiled in October. The company envisions that at some point in the future, any customer can get a 3D-printed pair of shoes tailored to their individual needs, which would personalize and improve their running experience.

At the moment, the 3D-printed sneakers made from recycled plastic ocean waste are just a prototype. At the same time, with this concept, Adidas hopes to demonstrate how new industry standards, which involve creating and using sustainable materials in production, can actually help solve major environmental issues that plague the world today.

“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. We want to bring everyone from the industry to the table and create sustainable solutions for big global problems,” said Eric Liedtke of the Adidas Group Executive Board.

The 3D-printed sustainable shoe was created by Adidas in collaboration with Parley for the Oceans — a nonprofit organization aimed at removing plastic waste from the oceans. However, it’s not their only joint initiative – in fact, the company actively assists Parley in the so-called A.I.R. strategy (Avoid, Intercept, and Redesign) that intends to put an end to ocean plastic pollution. Some of the actions taken by Adidas to help reach this goal include phasing out the use of plastic bags in its retail stores and sending its employees to Parley’s educational program focused on ocean activism.

What do you think about the company’s concept of sustainable sneakers? Do you think it has the potential to help reduce ocean plastic pollution? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Image credit: Adidas