Following their innovative Futurecraft Biofabric sneakers made entirely from recycled fishing nets, the Adidas sustainability journey continues with the sportswear giant now unveiling the worlds first performance shoe made from Biosteel® Fibre.
Developed by the German biotech company AMSilk, the Biosteel® Fibre is a nature-based and completely biodegradable high-performance fibre which replicates natural silk.
Adidas claims the “material offers a unique combination of properties that are crucial in performance, such as being 15% lighter in weight than conventional synthetic fibres as well as having the potential to be the strongest fully natural material available”.
Wary of buying a pair of shoes that might start to break down mid run?
The shoe is designed to break down using a water and a digestion enzyme called proteinase which will cause the protein-based yarn to decompose within 36 hours.
“This process is 100% natural,” an Adidas spokesperson told the news site. “The shoe would not dissolve if worn in rainy weather conditions, for example, as the presence of proteinase is all important to the process.”
Unfortunately the rubber sole is not biodegradable and that portion of the show will still end up in landfill but Adidas is working on a more sustainable material should the shoe go into production.
“In a year of ground-breaking innovations from Adidas, the announcement of our partnership with AMSilk – and the unveiling of the Adidas Futurecraft Biofabric shoe – is another step in our commitment to redefining the sports industry,” says Adidas CEO Vice President of Strategy and Creation James Carnes.
“This concept represents premium innovation. By using Biosteel® fiber in our products, we have achieved an unrivaled level of sustainability. We are moving beyond closed loop and into an infinite loop – or even no loop at all. This is a pioneering stride forward beyond sustainability into a new territory of bionic innovation.”
The prototype was unveiled at the Biofabricate Conference in New York last week and now AMSilk and Adidas are looking to explore more ways in which to use the fibre in their other performance products.
The prototype is stunning to look at and if the shoe lives up to it’s eco-friendly promises, they may have customers lining up to get their hands on a pair. Myself included!
