After three years of research and development, the French outdoor brand Salomon has presented the recyclable Index.01 running shoe, which will be on the market from February 2021.The company used recycled polyester to create the shoe’s upper, while a nitrogen-infused, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) based foam called Infiniride was employed for the bottom unit. Both parts of the sneaker can be recycled. Once separated, the two pieces will be ground down separately into tiny pellets. The materials of the bottom unit that are recycled in Europe will be combined with virgin TPU to make Salomon alpine ski boots in Europe for the 2022 winter range. Elsewhere, they will be used to create other products. The polyester upper will also be ground down and then turned into yarn. To minimize transportation, the shoes will be received at collection centers located in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. To recycle the shoes, Index.01 owners will be able to visit Salomon.com and print a shipping label to send the shoes to the closest collection center free of charge.
To lessen the material waste associated with the Index.01, there will be no stuffing paper used inside the shoes and no extra hangtags, the company stressed. From the spring 2021 season, all Salomon footwear will use Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified packaging.
