adidas Creating Ocean-Plastic Performance Products


Through a new iteration of their current partnership, adidas and Parley for the Oceans are hoping its latest announcement will continue to drive awareness toward the threat of ocean plastic pollution.

Together, the two organizations unveiled two performance products earlier this week, which include the UltraBOOST Uncaged Parley running shoe along with soccer jerseys for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, who will sport them later this month.

Both products are the first apparel and footwear produced with Parley Ocean Plastic and waste recovered from the coastal areas of the Maldives. In honor of World Oceans day this summer, they also created a limited edition adidas x Parley shoe created from ocean waste.

“This represents another step on the journey of adidas and Parley for the Oceans. We have not only managed to make footwear from recycled ocean plastic, but have also created the first jersey coming 100 percent out of the ocean,” said Eric Liedtke, adidas Group Executive Board member responsible for Global Brands in a statement.

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adidas will manufacture 7,000 pairs of the UltraBOOST Uncaged Parley, a shoe that is created with 95 percent Ocean Plastic. The running footwear is part of adidas commitment to creating one million pairs of UltraBOOST made with Parley Ocean Plastic by next years end.

“At this point, it’s no longer just about raising awareness. It’s about taking action and implementing strategies that can end the cycle of plastic pollution for good,” said Cyrill Gutsch, Founder, Parley for the Oceans in a statement. “Eco-innovation is an open playing field. With the release of the Ocean Plastic jerseys and UltraBOOST Uncaged adidas x Parley shoes, we’re inviting every consumer, player, team and fan to own their impact under Parley A.I.R. and define their role within the movement.”