Asics launches 'lightest ever CO2e emission sneaker'

Japanese sportswear brand Asics has created what it claims to be the sneaker with the lowest carbon footprint on the market.

The new product - called the Gel-Lyte III CM 1.95 sneaker - reportedly emits just 1.95 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions across its life cycle, which the brand says is “significantly” lighter than the previous record setter.

In comparison, Adidas linked up with Allbirds in 2021 to launch a running shoe with a carbon footprint of 2.94 kilograms of CO2e per pair.

Asics said its new sneaker, which will be commercially available next year, follows 10 years of research and development that began when the brand linked up with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2010 “to find a better way to accurately measure the CO2e impact across the entire life cycle of a product”.

Thanks to that research, Asics said it was able to fine-tune its product across the four key stages of its life cycle: materials and manufacturing, transportation, use, and end-of-life.

Asics said it implemented a number of new innovations, including a “new carbon negative foam” which features as part of its midsole and sockliner and which is made from a fusion of bio-based polymers derived partly from sugarcane.

The sneaker also features recycled and solution dyed polyester in the main upper material and the sockliner mesh.

The brand added that 100 percent renewable energy was used throughout the product's manufacturing phase.

Asics said its carbon emissions calculations were validated by Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) Japan, an inspection, verification, testing, and certification company.