Nike is definitely prioritizing the idea of circular design and is spearheading with greener, more environmentally-friendlier alternatives in the footwear industry. After thriving on the idea of sustainable One Box alternative to Nike’s traditional shoe packaging, the Swoosh brand has now designed two new silhouettes with innovative, eco-conscious capabilities.
By foreseeing shoes constructed in parts from eco-friendly materials and capable of being taken apart at the end of their lifespan, Nike is making creative inroads in the afterlife recycling of sneakers.
Nike’s creativity
Under the Nike ISPA (Improvise; Scavenge; Protect; Adapt) theme, the company is debuting two innovative footwear designs that would help address the intensifying concern for the environment amid athletes.
These sneakers – the ISPA Link and ISPA Link Axis – are anything like the traditional pairs. These are designed and assembled without the use of glue which usually makes recycling and disassembling shoes difficult. Nike has in fact made sure the shoes can be taken apart for recycling, which not only makes the process easier even helps reduce the carbon footprint in how each pair is made and disposed of.
ISPA Link & ISPA Link Axis
ISPA Link is a revolution pair set to arrive in June 2022. According to Nike, it takes as little as eight minutes to assemble a pair of Links since it is custom-made without the time-consuming process of pasting the midsole and the upper together with glue. The Link is instead put together using three interlocking modules to allow the midsole to fit snugly and stably into openings engineered into the upper.
ISPA Link Axis imbibing the peculiarity of disassembly is also an embodiment of sustainability in footwear engineering. Expected to debut in 2023, the Link Axis has a Flyknit upper made from 100 percent recycled polyester above the outsole made from scrap airbag material. Other parts of the Link Axis are also made in fractions from eco-friendly materials.