adidas is set to launch its latest Earth-friendly innovation, the FUTURECRAFT.FOOTPRINT. What started as a concept shoe made in collaboration with Allbirds has now turned into a realized offering of low-carbon performance footwear made at scale. This marks the first commercial release of the sneaker after the concept was first revealed in May 2021 with only 100 pairs being raffled off to adidas Creators Club members.

The FUTURECRAFT.FOOTPRINT shows the power of the collaboration and the learning companies can make when partnering with competitors, especially when taking an open-source approach to meeting the needs of runners while creating for a better future.

“Our ambition is to take FUTURECRAFT.FOOTPRINT from moonshot concept to something that sparks systemic change. We wanted to demonstrate how collaboration and an open-source mindset can create a halo effect across the industry and help make progress towards net zero,” said adidas Executive Board Member Global Brands Brian Grevy in a press release. “Our sights are set on a 15% average CO2e footprint reduction on every product by 2025, and FUTURECRAFT.FOOTPRINT is a major step forward for this ambition and our journey to create low carbon footwear at scale.”

The two brands have been able to create a performance running shoe with the lowest carbon emissions (2.94 kg CO2e) ever created by the Three Stripes. adidas notes that the shoe produces 63% less emissions per pair through the use of natural and recycled materials as well as rethinking aspects of the supply chain, manufacturing techniques, and even packaging. FUTURECRAFT.FOOTPRINT is made with cellulosic fibers regenerated from sustainable grown wood. The non-dyed shoe features an upper with 77% recycled polyester and 23% natural Tencel as well as an EVA midsole is made with 17% plant-based content derived from sugarcane. Its outsole is made with 10% recycled rubber.

The design teams were inspired by the “art of reduction” and the tangram principle – designing with only the most necessary amount of materials and treating pieces of materials like a puzzle that are perfectly fitted together in order to minimize waste.

“FUTURECRAFT.FOOTPRINT is an important reminder that we can achieve more together than we can separately, especially when it comes to the race against climate change. It’s been incredible to see this go from a simple yet far-fetched idea of the world’s lowest carbon footprint running shoe to a product that consumers can get their hands on in just two years – it’s a testament to the power of collaboration in the face of a daunting challenge,” said Allbirds Co-Founder and Co-CEO Tim Brown.

The Allbirds x adidas FUTURECRAFT.FOOTPRINT will release on December 15 at adidas.com, the adidas and Allbirds apps, and select adidas and Allbirds stores. A wider release featuring four new colorways will also drop in Spring 2022.

In other footwear news, French luxury house Chloé utilizes recycled materials for new Nama sneaker.