Adidas x Parley for the Oceans

Fashion/Beauty

Adidas x Parley for the Oceans

Conscious options when it comes to footwear and sneakers are slim, but one is effortlessly achieved through a joint collaboration between Adidas and Parley for the Oceans.

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Emma Thompson

April 24, 2017

What do you look for in a pair of sneakers? Style, color, model, historical legacy, or simply just the trend hype? Here’s another way to look at them: sneakers—shoes in general—pose a threat to the well-being of the environment, as many chemicals and toxins are produced and released in the process of making them. And don’t forget the lingering environmental impact after they are thrown out, as most of the materials are neither earth-friendly nor biodegradable.

The very first, limited edition adidas x Parley for the Oceans shoe was made in honour of the World Oceans Day in early 2016.

Enter Adidas x Parley for the Oceans, together creating a high performance sneaker from recycled and reclaimed ocean plastics and debris. Partners in crime, partners in the environment. It doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, but this joint effort to make shoes out of plastic waste is an unusual mix too, people might say. We therefore have decided to list some of the shoes available and other models yet to hit the market, including this collaborative effort by Adidas and Parley, that give you the chance to make a conscious decision when purchasing your sneakers.

The Ultra BOOST X is seen to the left, the Ultra BOOST 3.0 is positioned in the middle, and the Ultra BOOST Uncaged to the right.

In recent years, we have seen Raw for the Ocean spearheaded by Pharrell Williams (together with Bionic Yarn and Parley for the Oceans), Outerknown (founded by surf legend Kelly Slater), and other designers come up with creative ways to combat the growing amount of plastic waste in the oceans of the world. In late 2016, Adidas teamed up with Parley for the Oceans to launch the Ultra Boost Uncaged, made entirely from recycled plastic from the ocean, in a white color scheme. This year—on May 10th to be precise—the two reunite to launch the Adidas Ultra Boost 3.0 and another Adidas Ultra Boost Uncaged, along with a woman's silhouette of an Ultra BOOST X. An announcement of an Adidas by Stella McCartney Ultra BOOST X reveals that another collaborative sneaker will drop later this year.

The unexpected (or was is expected?) collaboration between Adidas and Parley sprung up after Adidas shifted its focus to the Boost style and sole technology: the Adidas x Parley shoe is no exception. Well, except for the fact that both the yarn, laces, heel counter and webbing, lining, footbed, and midfoot overlays are all made out of recycled and reclaimed ocean plastic.

We’ve also heard through the grapevine that, following the releases of some sneakers, a joint swimwear collection will also be revealed. Currently tailored to competitive swimwear silhouettes, Adidas will reportedly feature more commercialized editions in the near future. But we will dive into that as more information is released.