We produce a devastating amount of plastic waste. At least 14 million tons of the stuff ends up in our oceans every year. And if nothing changes, it’s predicted that by 2050 the oceans will contain more plastic than fish. There’s no hiding from the fact that this is a huge problem. But it’s also why we keep seeing new releases from the fruitful adidas and Parley for the Oceans partnership.
The latest product from the initiative is the adidas 4DFWD x Parley running shoe. It gives the innovative silhouette a Parley twist with recycled materials made from plastic waste collected from beaches, coastal communities, islands and more. The yarn used in the upper materials contains at least 50% Parley Ocean Plastic and 50% recycled polyester.
The 4DFWD is adidas’s latest running shoe, designed to propel athletes forward and absorb impact thanks to its patented 4D foam midsole. The lattice structure gives the sneaker a distinctive look in addition to helping its wearer perform to the highest of their ability. The shoe also features a Primeknit+ upper, a stretchweb rubber outsole, sock-like fit and 11mm midsole drop.
The adidas 4DFWD x Parley comes in a dark colorway of Core Black / Cloud White / Hazy Emerald or a light option of Off White / Core Black / Almost Lime. Three stitched lines run around the shoe and are layered with the iconic Three Stripes detailing.
In the run up to World Oceans Day on June 8, adidas and Parley are urging communities across the globe to “turn activity into action” with their Run for the Oceans campaign. For every 10 minutes of activity logged on apps like adidas Runtastic or Strava, Parley will clean up the equivalent weight of one plastic bottle from beaches, remote islands, and coastlines before it reaches the ocean.
Katja Schreiber, SVP Sustainability at adidas said: “Time is against us in the race to help end plastic waste, so we’re pushing harder and with more focus than ever before. Just like how this is an industry-wide problem, it requires industry-wide solutions, because sustainability is a team sport. By uniting our sporting community for this challenge, we can inspire real action against plastic waste by giving people an experience where their actions and way of being active contributes towards cleaning up the ocean.”
Plastic waste is incredibly harmful to our oceans and while we need to rally together to do all we can to turn back the tides, we can at least celebrate the innovative products that have been born from it.
The adidas 4DFWD x Parley is available now from adidas.com and make sure you record your runs to help clear plastic waste. Find out more on the Run for the Oceans page.