Ocean Plastic Turned Useful in Hyper-Modern New Sneaker by Adidas and Parley
Scientists predict that by 2025 all the coral reef ecosystems in the world will be gone. Leading environmentalists expect to see the majority of sea life extinct in 6 to 16 years. Most of us don’t realize how dire a situation this is: Diminishment of biodiversity in our ocean is the single greatest threat to the survival of humanity.
The most alarming threats are human overpopulation and overconsumption, and the pressures on our planet that come with it — oil, pollution, global warming, ocean acidification, over-fishing and agricultural run-off. By 2050, the global population is expected to increase to more than nine billion — requiring up to a 70 percent increase in agricultural production and a doubling of water needs for agriculture — placing even greater pressures on mother earth.
(L-R) Artist Chris Jordan, filmmaker Louie Psihoyos, explorer David de Rothschild, and Founder of Parley For The Oceans Cyrill Gutsch. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Parley for the Oceans)
A tad bit scary, no? Cyrill Gutsch, an award-winning designer, brand and product developer, thought so too and realized he wanted to take action. Gutsch founded Parley for the Oceans, “a collaboration space where creators, thinkers and leaders from art, film, music, fashion, technology and science partner up with major brands and environmentalists to raise awareness and to collaborate on projects that can end the destruction of the magic blue universe beneath us: Our Oceans.”
(L-R) SVP of Brand Marketing at Adidas Eric Liedtke, Cyrill Gutsch, and professional football player Robert Griffin III. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Parley for the Oceans)
On June 29th, Eco-Chick joined Parley and a number of creatives in art, music, fashion, design, science and more, at the General Assembly at the United Nations for a Parley for the Oceans launch event. The evening centered around a 60-Minute Parley Talk where leading environmentalists, creatives, scientists and entrepreneurs gave a briefing on the State of the Oceans, Climate Change and the scientific fact that the planet has entered the 6th mass extinction event.
Oceanographer Fabien Cousteau speaks on stage at the United Nations x Parley For The Oceans Launch Event at the United Nations General Assembly Hall. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Parley for the Oceans)
Speakers included: Cyrill Gutsch, founder of Parley for the Oceans; Robert Griffin III, Pharrell Williams; Captain Paul Watson; Eric Liedtke Executive Board Member Global Brands adidas Group; Julian Schnabel; Chris Jordan; Sylvia Earle; David de Rothschild; John Warner; Ora Ito; Sid Chakravarty; Fabien Cousteau (presenter).
Cyrill Gutsch. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Parley for the Oceans)
The highlight of the evening for us was when Liedtke unveiled a world first: A shoe upper made entirely of yarns and filaments reclaimed and recycled from ocean waste and illegal deep-sea gillnets. Parley partner Sea Shepherd retrieved these nets after a 110-day expedition tracking an illegal poaching vessel, which culminated off the coast of West Africa.
An adidas shoe upper made entirely of yarns and filaments reclaimed and recycled from ocean waste and illegal deep-sea gillnets. (adidas)
“It’s a fishing net that was spanning the bottom of the sea like a wall, and killing pretty much every fish passing by,” said Gutsch. “They confiscated this net, and we’re bringing it back to life.”
Models Ajak Deng (L) and Janice Alida. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Parley for the Oceans)
“We are incredibly excited to join Parley for the Oceans as they bring the cause of the oceans to the attention of the United Nations,” said Liedtke. “Adidas has long been a leader in sustainability, but this partnership allows us to tap into new areas and create innovative materials and products for our athletes. We invite everyone to join us on this journey to clean up the oceans.”
(L-R) Model Grace Bol, Cyrill Gutsch and model Eden Amare. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Parley for the Oceans)
Liedtke said adidas will integrate reclaimed materials like fishing nets and beach trash into the line of shoes which is slated to launch later this year. The company plans to eventually integrate such materials into other products. “We don’t have to limit ourselves,” said Liedtke. “We can put this in T-shirts, we can put this in shorts, we can put this in all kinds of stuff.”
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Lindsay E. Brown
Lindsay has spent her career at the intersection of media and social change. In her role at Eco-Chick, Lindsay has established partnerships and campaigns with some of the world’s most-recognized companies committed to sustainability and CSR. She co-created the popular interview series “Heroines for the Planet” that features groundbreaking women who share courage and a deep passion for protecting people and the Earth. Lindsay is the Marketing and Sustainability Manager at Health-Ade Kombucha and previously served as Director of Communications at the social enterprise CBS EcoMedia. There she directed corporate advertising dollars to the nation’s most effective non-profits tackling urgent social issues in local communities and was awarded CBS Corporation’s prestigious Share-the-Vision award. She has written for Whole Living Magazine, Edible, Cottages & Gardens, From The Grapevine, EarthHour.org, Eco-Age.com, and for environmentalists Laura Turner Seydel and Susan Rockefeller. Lindsay holds a BS in Global Business Studies and Marketing from Manhattan College, and received the 2012 Honors Award at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
