Recyclable shoe in the spotlight in WSA Footwear Technology feature
The feature we published in the Footwear Technology section of WSA November-December is now available to read on sportstextiles.com.
In this issue, the focus of our main footwear feature is the Index.01 running shoe from Salomon, designed and constructed with recycling in mind from the very start. Salomon has said this initiative has taken three years to develop.
There is recycled polyester in the upper and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) in the bottom unit, making both parts of the Index.01 recyclable. The bottom unit will be ground down into pellets, which the brand will combine with virgin TPU to make alpine ski boots and other products.
At the end of the shoe’s useful life, the polyester upper, along with the polyester thread used to stitch together the upper and bottom unit, will be turned into yarn and used to weave recycled fabric.
A water-based glue also helps stick the bottom unit to the upper; Salomon has explained this minimises “material contamination”, making the product easier to disassemble.
The shoes will come onto the market in spring 2021.
