It’s no secret that oceans all over the world are facing a serious crisis due to pollution, overfishing, and habitat destruction. The ocean might seem like a faraway place to us humans, but we rely on it more than we may realize, and by hurting the ocean, we are ultimately hurting ourselves. Fortunately, one company is taking a step to clean things up.
Well-known sneaker manufacturer Adidas teamed up with Parley for the Oceans, a collaborative organization of creatives who are working to restore the oceans and all the creatures in them to their full health. Together, they’re creating a new sneaker from human-made detritus pulled from our planet’s oceans.
The shoes are created using plastic salvaged from the ocean. Most of it comes in the form of illegal deep-sea fishing nets — that’s all the green, ropey material you see here.
The idea to create a shoe from the plastic came when an ally of Parley for the Oceans, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, was tracking an illegal poaching vessel off the coast of West Africa. While tailing the ship, Sea Shepherd collected a huge amount of gillnets and other plastic items. Out of all that garbage came the idea for what to do with it.
And yes, they looked pretty hardcore while they cleaned up the planet.
So what could anyone possibly do with all this plastic netting? Well, the plastic was already in fiber form, and it was made to be very durable. What could be better for a sneaker?
The concept for the shoe was created in only six days, and it debuted at the UNx Parley event on June 29.
This event, held at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, covered pressing environmental concerns and ocean health.
Pulling the nets out of the ocean not only provides material for new products, but also gives immediate relief to creatures that get caught in them.
In December of 2014, Sea Shepherd removed 72 kilometers of illegal netting from the Southern Ocean. They freed thousands of animals in the process.
The shoes are created using the plastic filaments and fibers that originally made up the gillnets.
Currently, the shoes are still in their concept phase, which means they’re not yet available to the public — but they might be soon. Making shoes might seem like a small action, but Parley says that it’s just one of many possible solutions. “This first concept is only the beginning,” the organization explains via Instagram, “and an example of how impactful creative collaboration can be. The problems we face are many, but so are the solutions.”
(via Colossal, My Modern Met)
Right now, these shoes are still in their prototype phase, and while there’s considerable excitement for them, they might not be commercially available for some time; even when they are, they may take a slightly different form. However, Adidas has decided that recycling is the way to go, and plans to incorporate recycled plastic into its products beginning next year. Currently, Adidas offers a line of recycled polyester items.
You can learn more about the efforts of Parley for the Oceans on their website, as well as on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can also check out what the Sea Shepherds are up to on their website and Facebook page.
