You can now pay, at least in part, for a pair of Stan Smith shoes using plastic bottles. It’s all thanks to Adidas’ recycling vending machines.
The German footwear and apparel brand partnered with marketing and advertising agency Mojo Supermarket to design the new recycling machines.
Customers insert plastic bottles into the machine, which then prints a voucher for a discount on a new pair of Stan Smiths, which can be purchased in-store.
“Plastic in, fresh kicks out,” Mojo Supermarket captioned in an Instagram post. “Our latest work for adidas keeps you looking good while doing good for the planet.”
Adidas’ recycling vending machines are currently located at the brand’s flagship stores in New York and Paris. The company plans to introduce more recycling machines later this year.
The machines are part of Adidas’ End Plastic Waste initiative. The company previously pledged to ditch virgin polyester in order to cut back on plastic waste. Instead, it aims to use 100 percent recycled polyester by 2024.
“We love working with our friends at adidas because they actually try to use their influence to solve cultural problems, not just business ones,” Mojo Supermarket’s director of art and design, Camilo Galofre, said in a statement.
Adidas Sustainable Stan Smiths
In lieu of using virgin polyester, Adidas aims to use more sustainable materials. The company began exclusively sourcing organic cotton in 2018. It also gave its iconic Stan Smiths an eco-friendly upgrade.
“The next step in our journey to help End Plastic Waste begins with reimagining the iconic white court sneaker, the Stan Smith,” the company explained in a statement.
Adidas uses its eco-friendly materials Primegreen and Primeblue to craft may of its shoes. The former is a high-performance, plastic-free fabric that Adidas makes using at least 50 percent recycled materials. The latter is made with Parley ocean plastic.
Adidas partnered with the environmental organization Parley for the Oceans back in 2015 on Earth Day. The non-profit works to raise awareness for some of the most pressing issues the world’s oceans currently face.
Primegreen is featured in the company’s Originals x Disney, Stan Smith collection. The line includes a number of notable Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, and Disney characters, such as The Hulk, Tinker Bell, and WALL-E-themed shoes.
As part of the range, the company also released Stan Smith Kermit the Frog-inspired shoes. The kicks feature the phrase “It’s Not Easy Being Green” on the heel tabs. The sustainable shoes remind the wearers “to be a little more green like Kermit the Frog,” according to Adidas. And on May 5, the company is launching Star Wars Yoda-themed shoes.
Adidas also recently introduced the Stan Smith Mylo. The vegan sneakers are the company’s first-ever shoe to feature mushroom leather. The brand sourced the mushroom-derived material from biotechnology company Bolt Threads. It’s featured on the shoe’s outer upper, perforated three stripes, heel tab overlay, and signature branding.
“Adidas is driving the topic of sustainability in all areas of its product range as well as across its entire business operations,” explained Frank Henke, senior vice president of sustainability at Adidas, in a statement sent to LIVEKINDLY.
