Nike: Turning Trash into Athletic Footwear

Editorial TeamEditorial Team
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August 18th, 2022
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9:37 AM

Nike’s collection of Nike Space Hippie presented a new spin on sustainable sneakers made from waste and recycled materials, resulting in an innovative and environmentally friendly design.

For decades, Nike has honed its expertise in the field of sustainability. The company has always had a clear vision and goal when designing. The idea is to create products from materials that be later reused. For decades, Nike has honed its expertise in the field of sustainability. The company has always had a clear vision and goal when designing. The idea is to create products that can later be reused in a circular fashion. The American company has been very aware of the importance of their actions for the future, that climate change can be a consequence for those who love to watch sports and play. They have worked on ideas to improve the present and future of the sport and through Nike's “Move to Zero” initiative they are looking to reduce their carbon footprint and generate zero waste, helping to protect the future of sustainable sports apparel. Nike uses recycled polyester certified Global Recycled Standard in order to cut carbon emissions by up to 30% and uses sustainable cotton, certified through the Better Cotton Initiative.   Nike Space Hippie for Circularity More and more major brands are employing sustainable practices to reduce the heavy environmental impact caused by the fashion industry. Giving waste a second life is one of the practices that is gaining momentum in the design sector. Nike is one of the pioneers of this growing sustainable trend and has once again demonstrated it in its new Nike Space Hippie collection.  

  Inspired by life on Mars, where materials are scarce and cannot be replenished, the new Nike Space Hippie shoes are made from factory waste and transformed post-consumer materials, combining sustainable production practices with innovative and radical aesthetics. They’re are made with Flyknit yarns made from 100% recycled materials, such as plastic bottles or leftovers from manufacturing processes. Their unique granulated Crater Foam sole contains around 12% Nike Grind rubber, combined with other foam materials to offer a lightweight, comfortable and of course environmentally friendly silhouette. Nike has been exploring new sustainable production methods for years. The new Nike Space Hippie collection is the American brand's latest step towards a better future. In 2005 it launched the Nike Considered initiative, a line of sustainable footwear made from materials found less than 200 miles from its factories and reducing the use of solvents by more than 80%.  

  With this initiative, they managed to reduce the environmental impact of their entire production process, from the transport of materials to the manufacture of their designs. Other Nike sustainable initiatives have included the Trash Talk collection, made from factory leather waste, and Flyknit, using yarns made from recycled plastic bottles, which have now also been used in the new Nike Space Hippie silhouettes. In addition, the classic Nike packaging box has been discarded for Space Hippie. For this edition, it was a single piece made from recycled material and printed with plant-based ink. All of which intended for the same goal: to reduce the impact of the carbon footprint.