adidas created a world first with a shoe upper made entirely of recycled ocean plastic and gillnets
Parley for the Oceans is an organisation in which creators, thinkers and leaders come together to raise awareness about the state of the oceans and to collaborate on projects that can protect and conserve them. As founding member, adidas supports Parley for the Oceans in its education and communication efforts, as well as its comprehensive Ocean Plastic Program that intends to end plastic pollution of the oceans.
Yesterday, Parley Talks titled ‘Oceans. Climate. Life.’ were hosted by the United Nations in New York at the General Assembly Hall, on the occasion of a high-level event on climate change, convened by the President of the General Assembly. Environmentalists, creatives, scientists and entrepreneurs gave a briefing on the dire state of the oceans and climate change while Parley collaborators presented their visions, initiatives, projects, inventions and solutions.
The UNxParley event included an intimate press gathering where adidas Group Executive Board member responsible for Global Brands Eric Liedtke and Parley for the Oceans founder Cyrill Gutsch talked about the partnership and showcased a unique prototype product. adidas created a world first with a shoe upper made entirely of yarns and filaments reclaimed and recycled from ocean waste and illegal deep-sea gillnets. Parley’s partner organisation Sea Shepherd retrieved the nets after a 110-day expedition tracking an illegal poaching vessel, which culminated off the coast of West Africa.
The concept shoe illustrates the direction adidas and Parley for the Oceans are taking, ahead of consumer-ready ocean plastic products being revealed later this year.
