Adidas has revealed to the world Loop, its 100% recyclable shoe, an "infinite" shoe that, once discarded, can be disassembled and completely put back into circulation.
A shoe that literally lasts an entire life (and beyond).
The name is eloquent: Loop. An infinite circle, which gives a good idea. It was created by a special division of Adidas, FutureCraft, which is responsible for totally innovating the German giant's footwear.
Over the years, FutureCraft has introduced 3D printed customizations, online customizations, shoes made with plastic that pollutes the ocean (by the way: here is another way to eliminate it).
In this case the Adidas Loop is a shoe that does not end up on a dead end when you stop using it, but returns to the circle and is "reincarnated" in other shoes, or other objects, without increasing pollution.
All with one
The great innovation from Adidas (which has already attempted to create a recyclable product in the past) is in having identified a single material with which to make each part of the shoe.
Everything from the upper to the sole passing through the laces, the heel and the torsion bars are variants of a single material: thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).
The TPU, developed by Adidas in partnership with BASF, can be transformed into different shapes and textures simply by manipulating the heat with which it is processed.
No glue or adhesive is used, making it extremely simple to disassemble and recycle. Another difference with similar projects is that a pair of used shoes will not necessarily be transformed into other objects, on the contrary. It will be easier to recondition them to make them new shoes, perhaps of the next design.
Empty returnable
Adidas is not limited to a new product and a new manufacturing process: it wants to involve customers in the reuse circle by reimbursing those who bring used shoes back to the store with 10 or 20 euros. A bit like returnable empties.
Tests to perfect recycling, production, sale and distribution continue at full speed, and Adidas Loop will see the light in the second half of 2020.
In the meantime, Adidas will send 200 pairs of shoes to as many lucky testers, who will have to wear them for 6 months before returning them to understand what kind of wear interests them.
