Adidas achieves lowest carbon running shoe with Allbirds
Following on from adidas and Allbirds’ revelation that they would be collaborating to make lower carbon sports shoes last May, the two companies have met their one-year deadline with the recent announcement of their Futurecraft.Footprint running shoe.
The high-performance footwear has an impact of 2.94 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent emissions per pair, which constitutes a new record for both brands. For context, adidas’ current lowest carbon running shoe reportedly has a footprint of 7.86 kilograms.
Sustainability lead at Allbirds, Hana Kajimura, commented: “We set this really ambitious moon-shot goal of breaking two kilograms of CO2. That felt like a crazy idea of something to do in such a short timeline, but we got to breaking three.
“It was really about simplifying the product back to basics and back to the true form of all the different components.”
70% recycled polyester and 30% Tencel (a wood-based cellulosic fibre) were used for the shoes’ upper, whereas the midsoles have been made using a combination of adidas’ lightweight Lightstrike foam cushioning and Allbirds’ proprietary SweetFoam material, derived from sugarcane (instead of thermoplastic urethane).
Embroidery joins the shoes’ individual components together, as well as reinforces the footwear without the addition of further materials. Pairs of Futurecraft.Footprint are only available in white, so as to lessen the carbon impact and additional waste generated as a result of the dyeing process.
Lifecycle data also factors in the environmental cost of shipping, fuel and packaging.
“What I hope this project really creates for the industry is not just the specific learnings of this project - and how we can create a blueprint for low carbon footwear - but that it helps to normalise competitors working together,” Ms Kajimura added.
A limited drop of 100 pairs will first be offered to members of adidas’ Creators Club programme, followed by 10,000 pairs during autumn-winter 2021 and then a wider release in spring-summer 2022.
Image: Allbirds via Instagram.
