Conscious Kicks Are a Part of Nike’s Next Nature
As Nike’s current eco achievements in their Next Nature space inform future catalysts of environmental protection, the brand’s 50th anniversary is the perfect occasion to announce their latest boundary-pushing design and future-proofing of old favourites. Let’s take a peek at how advancing past 50 is actually a Move To Zero.
Move To Zero
Move To Zero is an ambitiously attainable goal Nike have set themselves: achieve a zero carbon and zero waste future. As the world’s largest athletic footwear and apparel company, the Swoosh have the potential to instigate the most tangible change and positive environmental impact at incomparable scale. They’ve pioneered measures, like recycled content aka Nike Grind, for decades; and steps are being taken across the entire production process to effectively reduce waste by not creating it in the first place. Below are just some of the latest (and most classic) designs contributing to Nike’s Move to Zero goal.
ISPA Link and ISPA Link Axis
Nike’s conceptual ISPA program has always organically prioritised reducing environmental impact via practical thinking. The next phase is the newly launched ISPA Link that is assembled using a highly modular method, removing the need for glue. This massively efficient implementation saves time, resources, materials, and in turn, reduces environmental impact. For context, it only takes eight minutes to assemble a pair – some sneakerheads take longer lacing up their shoes!
Upon realising the Link concept, the ISPA team have also offered a glimpse into its next phase with the Link Axis. Its upper uses 100 per cent recycled Flyknit and is designed to be a single piece of fabric that stretches over the midsole. The cushioning is completely sourced from scrap thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) left over from making Air bags.
Pegasus Turbo Next Nature
The Pegasus Turbo Next Nature is a step up in sustainable performance product. Its impressive spec sheet includes that the shoe is made from at least 50 per cent recycled material by weight, a lot of which comes from its ZoomX midsole that is at least 55 percent recycled content by weight. And binding this all together is Nike’s proven Flyknit cable system – 100 per cent of it is recycled on this new model.
Nike Classics
Nike’s eco ethos doesn’t just apply to their latest models – it extends to their most classic designs. The Blazer and Dunk have been updated to be composed of at least 20 per cent recycled material by weight, while simultaneously preserving their iconic lines. Similarly, the inspired Waffle One combines 1970s styling with the same conscious contemporary technology including Crater foam midsoles and Grind outsoles. All of these models represent Nike’s Next Nature category, one of the important sections of the Move To Zero strategy.
Explore more of the Swoosh’s next 50 years by visiting Nike.
