Across the world, brands continue to push their limits on how sustainably they can make their products. More and more they are focused on reducing their emissions with plenty of them setting goals to achieve certain thresholds, such as reaching net-zero emissions within the immediate future.

This type of aim is perfectly exemplified with ASICS’ most recent launch. With all the changes the company has been implementing on the sustainability front, it has now produced a sneaker with its lowest level of carbon emissions yet.

The new GEL-LYTE™ III CM 1.95 sneaker emits only 1.95kg of CO2 throughout its life cycle, meaning its emissions are considerably lower than the previous title holder on the market. This perfectly reflects the work ASICS has been doing to achieve its sustainability goals, namely its promise to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 (an important goal, but we, at FVV, urge ASICS, and other brands, to move these deadlines up).

For this model ASICS uses one of its latest innovations, a carbon negative foam for the midsole and sockliner. This new component is developed using a mix of bio-based polymers partly made with sugarcane. The sneaker also features a recycled and solution-dyed polyester for the main upper and sockliner mesh. This plays into another of ASICS’ goals of using 100% recycled polyester by 2030. The shoe also has a new structure that uses tape, reducing the material usage, and it is manufactured with 100% renewable energy.

The Japanese sportswear multinational has been working on improving its environmental standing for over 10 years, collaborating with MIT researchers to grow its sustainability practices, going on to establish the ASICS’ Life Cycle Assessment framework back in 2014. This research project has directly impacted the design and production methods ASICS uses, having implemented innovative ways to minimize the impact manufacturing has, using materials more efficiently, and replacing the materials used with lower impact options. ASICS has also fine tuned its methods to track carbon emissions, increasing the scope of data collection when it comes to CO2 emissions, making its markers quite comprehensive, making sure to include the complete transport process and several aspects of the end-of-life of its products.

“At ASICS we have long been committed to exploring and testing more sustainable methods through our value chain to reduce our impact on the planet,” says Minako Yoshikawa, Senior General Manager for ASICS Sustainability Division. “While the GEL-LYTE™ III CM 1.95 is a hugely significant milestone on this journey, this is only the beginning. Our ambition now is to continue applying the learnings and build on the blueprint of this shoe in a way that can be rolled out on an even bigger scale in the future.”

If the GEL-LYTE™ III CM 1.95 sneaker sounds like something you’d like for yourself you’ll be able to get your hands on them starting Fall 2023, both online and in store. To learn more about the sneaker and ASICS’ sustainability commitments you can check out asics.tv/cm195.