Adidas Making Shoes From Recycled Ocean Plastic, Turning 'Threat Into Thread'

It's no secret that the oceans are filled with humanity's garbage. It's sad to see such beauty, and such an important resource, spoiled with our trash. And a big chunk of the problem is plastic – the indestructible stuff is everywhere. To call it a problem would be a huge understatement. However, one company is flipping that idea on its head and turning that huge problem into an amazing resource. I wonder if it will catch on...

What started as a concept is now available for people to buy: Stylish, seafoam green running shoes made from recycled plastic.

In partnership with Parley for the Oceans, an organization dedicated to reducing plastic in the ocean, Adidas teased the new runners back in 2015, and in late 2016 finally launched them for sale. Adidas's initial run of 7,000 pairs of UltraBOOST Uncaged Parley running shoes went for $220.

The shoes feature an upper sole made from 95 percent recycled plastic pulled from the ocean near the Maldives. 

And that first run of 7,000 is just the start for Adidas. In 2017, they aim to deliver one million pairs to the marketplace, all made from recycled plastic bottles. The ultimate goal is to remove virgin plastic from its supply chain altogether.

Consumers who want to support the environment without sacrificing quality now have a real option.

And for Adidas, it turns an environmental catastrophe into a resource. Given how much plastic is just floating in the ocean, waiting to be picked up, they could be onto something big. As their website notes, they're "spinning the problem into a solution. The threat into a thread.”

Adidas isn't even stopping at making shoes from recycled plastic. In November 2016, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich both played games wearing Adidas jerseys made from plastic.

And they've made sandals and swimwear from recycled plastic as well. While Adidas's efforts to clean up the oceans might look feeble in the grand scheme of things, they're certainly acting as a leader – and maybe some other corporate giants will follow along.

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