Nike Designs Recyclable Shoes Made to Be Taken Apart

As we learn more about the true state of recycling in America, it’s become clear that some things recyclable in theory are less so in reality. This is why some companies are taking a deeper dive into ways to help enable the recyclability of their products. It’s long been challenging to recycle items made of multiple materials, which means traditionally they’ve ended up in the garbage bin. One of these items is shoes, and a Wichita State study last year contends that, in America, some 300 million pairs per year are tossed in the trash and take an average of 30 to 40 years to decompose. Nike, a leader in footwear innovation, has recently announced a new development that should make sneakers easier to recycle… and it starts with taking them apart. The Nike Link and Link Axis shoes were developed using the company’s ISPA design philosophy. ISPA stands for Improvise, Scavenge, Protect, and Adapt and Nike says it “challenges creators to experiment, break molds and reimagine products.” In this case, the concept of shoe “disassembly” was incorporated into the Link’s design.