Asics has launched a new road running shoe that's made to be easily disassembled and recycled once it reaches the end of its life. The The Asics Nimbus Mirai uses a special glue that provides a secure hold, but allows the shoe to be pulled apart so the upper can be removed from the sole.
Recycling running shoes is usually difficult because of the combination of different materials that are hard to separate and process, but the Mirai (a Japanese word meaning 'future') is made with a uniform polyester construction with no overlays, making it much easier to manage.
The new shoe is launching with a returns program that allows you to return the shoe once it's worn out so it can be properly processed. According to Asics, 87.3% of the Mirai's upper can be recovered during recycling and turned into usable material for new products.
To reduce reliance on virgin petrochemicals, the Mirai's midsole foam is made from around 24% renewable materials, such as bioplastics derived from material left over from sugarcane processing.
Of course the most sustainable running shoes are the ones you already have, so it's best to stick with them as long as you can, but it's refreshing to see consideration right from the start about what happens to a new pair of shoes once they're no longer usable.
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