adidas & Parley to Celebrate World Oceans Day With First of Its Kind Shoe

Back in December, adidas tapped Parley for a unique new concept: an environmentally friendly take on the Three Stripes’ Futurecraft 3D sole unit that employs recycled polyester and gill net for its construction. Now the two are taking things a step further for World Oceans Day and joining forces to create a first of its kind runner. First showcased last year at Parley’s “Oceans. Climate. Life.” talks in New York City, the design utilizes Parley’s signature Ocean Plastic, which is made up of coastal plastic waste from the Maldives and illegal deep-sea gillnets retrieved by partnering organization Sea Shepherd. The result is a sign of things to come from the German sportswear giant: adidas will craft additional footwear from Parley’s recycled plastic throughout the months ahead. Said Eric Liedtke, the adidas Group Executive Board member responsible for Global Brands:

This adidas x Parley running shoe is already iconic. It’s a shoe for game changers. We can’t wait to hear the stories of those who stand up, suggest creative solutions, take action and want to join us on our journey to clean up the oceans.

Parley founder Cyrill Gutsch added:

So much work has happened behind the scenes since we launched our partnership with adidas. We are creating new standards, new materials and technologies that are so different to those the sporting goods industry is used to. It is an ongoing challenge, but we achieved the first step. Now we can replace new plastic with recycled marine plastic debris: Parley Ocean Plastic. We can create footwear and apparel products with it and we are ready to scale it up.

Those hoping to obtain a pair of the kicks will have a chance starting this week: from June 8 (World Oceans Day) through July, fans can take part in an Instagram content by uploading creative videos that pledge their support for Parley’s Ocean Plastic Program. Winners — just 50 in all — will be chosen after July 31 while full rules for the competition will be disclosed via the adidas and Parley social media channels.