Nike launches first sustainable basketball shoe

Nike has launched its first sustainable basketball shoe, “Cosmic Unity,” made from 25 percent recycled content by weight.

The new shoe falls under Nike’s greater sustainability plan, the “Move to Zero” initiative, which aims to only use renewable energy within all of its facilities and supply chain by 2025. The unique shoe helps the brand progress towards its goal of zero waste and zero carbon.

The shoe will be released in three colorways including, ‘green glow,’ which is lime green and black, ‘Space hippie,’ a combination of grey, orange, and light blue, and ‘amalgam,’ a tri-color vibrant mix of blue, green, and orange.

The upper part of the shoe is made from recycled cable yarn, while the sockline, laces, and signature swoosh are made from recycled material.

Nike described the Cosmic Unity as “designed for athletes who love basketball and believe in playing an active role in shaping a more sustainable future”.

“As athletes, we worry about a lot of things - what we eat, how we train, when we sleep — but this is so much bigger than that, we’re wearing something that’s minimizing the impact on our planet so we can keep playing basketball and help protect it for the future,” said WNBA star A’ja Wilson in a press release.

Ross Klien, senior creative director for performance footwear at Nike, said: “We asked ourselves a question that is guiding our process into the future: Can a product that makes the world better also make an athlete better? We wanted to create a synergy between making the world better by what we do, but also leave an impact for athletes so that they can perform at a higher level.”

Photo credit: Nike