Imagine having a piece of Lionel Messi’s cleats in the recycled fibers of yours; imagine never creating waste when you toss your old pair; imagine Adidas’ Sport Infinity.
“Farewell to recycling—it is now time for infinity-cycling,” is how Adidas likes to say it. Sport Infinity, their newly-announced 3-year research program, aims to create a soccer cleat that uses no chemical adhesives, creates no waste, and can be repeatedly recycled. Funded by the European Union, the program will employ people from various industries so that the shoes’ ‘super-material’ can be made from a combination of “anything from carbon used in an aircraft manufacturing to fibers of the boots that scored during the World Cup,” said Adidas.
While other sports companies have had green initiatives previously, none appear as ambitious or transparent as this one. Nike, for instance, has been recycling athletic shoes since the 1990s. However, Greenpeace, an independent organization that exposes global environmental problems, has cited a lack of transparency in deeming Nike a “Green-washer,” meaning that they use green marketing to look more environmentally-friendly than they actually are.
Gerd Manz, the Vice President of Technology and Innovation at Adidas and the leader of the project, said, “Over the next three years, Sport Infinity aims to end the days of throwing away football boots. Instead, every pair of boots is not just recycled but reimagined to the customer’s most personal specifications.”
Even though there has been some progress, the technology is not yet complete. The first prototype had an upper made from waste plastic and fishing net fibers, but the sole was still made from new plastic. Even so, Adidas still has three years until the debut to perfect their materials and methods.
With how important environmental sustainability is becoming, Adidas is making huge, industry-leading strides. No other major sports clothing corporation has tried anything as revolutionary—Sport Infinity could be the future of sustainable sports equipment.