adidas and Parley Celebrate World Oceans Day by Releasing Iconic Shoe

Herzogenaurach, June 7, 2016 – To celebrate World Oceans Day, adidas and Parley for the Oceans have announced the release of a limited number of the iconic running shoe showcased at last year's Parley Talks 'Oceans. Climate. Life.' hosted by the President of the General Assembly at the United Nations in New York. 

People around the world are being given until the end of July 2016 to enter a creative Instagram contest to earn one of the 50 available pairs.

Zinedine Zidane who is supporting the movement said:
"This is an inspiring partnership between adidas and Parley.  What adidas and Parley is doing, by turning waste into a running shoe, shows that even waste that is harming the planet can be used to create something special."

The shoe upper is made from Parley Ocean Plastic®, which is collected in coastal areas in the Maldives, as well as illegal deep-sea gillnets retrieved by Parley for the Oceans' partner organisation Sea Shepherd. The shoe has been created with adidas' most innovative production method: adidas Tailored Fibre Technology, a revolutionary manufacturing technique that enables unique footwear designs to be tailored to the individual needs of any athlete.

As of June 8, World Oceans Day, people will be able to earn a pair by taking part in an Instagram contest. People will be asked to create a video and show how they pledge to avoid single use plastic items and support Parley's Ocean Plastic Program. The competition will close on July 31, 2016. The full rules of the game as well as the countries where the competition will be run will be disclosed on adidas and Parley's social channels.

"This adidas x Parley running shoe is already iconic," said Eric Liedtke, adidas Group Executive Board member responsible for Global Brands. "It's a shoe for game changers. We can't wait to hear the stories of those who stand up, suggest creative solutions, take action and want to join us on our journey to clean up the oceans."

With the goal of developing and supporting new technologies to up-cycle ocean plastic debris, over the last year adidas and Parley for the Oceans have worked on turning ocean plastic into technical yarn fibres that can be used for performance products. This shoe is the first in a series of products that adidas is now able to produce using Parley Ocean Plastic®.

"So much work has happened behind the scenes since we launched our partnership with adidas. We are creating new standards, new materials and technologies that are so different to those the sporting goods industry is used to", says Cyrill Gutsch, Founder of Parley for the Oceans. "It is an ongoing challenge, but we achieved the first step. Now we can replace new plastic with recycled marine plastic debris: Parley Ocean Plastic®. We can create footwear and apparel products with it and we are ready to scale it up".

In the second half of 2016, one of adidas' top footwear franchises will integrate Parley Ocean Plastic® – the first commercial footwear product drop by adidas and Parley for the Oceans.

For the editors: 

In April 2015, adidas announced a partnership with Parley for the Oceans , an environmental organization and collaboration network that raises awareness for the beauty and fragility of the oceans and implements comprehensive strategies to end their destruction. 

As founding member, adidas supports Parley for the Oceans in its efforts in communication and education, research and development, direct action and eco innovation. The mutual focus is on Parley's comprehensive Ocean Plastic Program, which is led by the Parley A.I.R. Strategy (Avoid, Intercept, and Redesign) to end ocean plastic pollution. 

Since the partnership was announced in April 2015, adidas has taken concrete immediate steps in this direction. Examples are: 

AVOID
Reduce the use of plastic where possible. Replace new, virgin plastic with recycled plastic.

The adidas Group phased out the use of plastic bags in its own retail stores. The phase-out was announced on Earth Day, 2016. Read more here:http://www.gameplan-a.com/2016/04/plastic-bags-at-adidas-stores-are-history-heres-how-we-made-it-happen/ 

Together with its partner COTY, adidas ended the use of plastic microbeads across all its body care products by December 31st, 2015. Read more here:http://blog.adidas-group.com/2015/11/microbeads-free-shower-gel-keeps-us-and-the-oceans-clean/ 

The company has stopped the use of plastic bottles in its canteens and for meetings at its Headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany.

adidas supported Parley to establish a global supply chain to create high performance yarn and polymers from marine plastic debris for the production of footwear and apparel. Under the name 'Parley Ocean Plastic', these materials will now be phased step by step into key adidas product categories to reduce the production of new, virgin plastic, increase the attractiveness of recycled plastic, create awareness for ocean plastic pollution and boost solutions that can end the problem.

INTERCEPT
Intercept plastic waste

As a founding member, adidas supports Parley for the Oceans and its Global Cleanup Network including countries and NGOs with operations in 38 countries, including around 1,450 individual cleanup events, and engaging around 80,000 participants. In 2016, Parley intercepted a total of 746 tons of marine debris, which included 379 tons of plastic waste from coastlines, beaches, reefs, and high seas.

adidas x Parley is establishing a comprehensive employee volunteer program where adidas employees use their skills to support Parley. As part of this initiative, adidas and Parley launched in November 2015 the Parley Ocean School, a unique programme that blends ocean activism with experiential learning and activities in a marine environment. Watch this video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDlnT1ZVHhc .

REDESIGN
Redesign the plastic economy

The shoe presented at the United Nations back in June 2015 was a prototype. Since then, adidas and Parley for the Oceans have worked on turning intercepted gillnets, other discarded fishnets and marine plastic debris into fibers, yarns, and polymers that can be used to create performance footwear and apparel. In the second half of 2016, one of adidas' top footwear franchises will integrate Parley Ocean Plastic in order to scale up the replacement of new, virgin plastic.

adidas and Parley are engaged in a comprehensive research and development program to develop new design standards and processes, invent new materials, optimize and reinvent production methods, and redefine the lifecycles of products — always with the aim of implementing the Parley A.I.R Strategy into the core of the adidas company culture, and to inspire the brand community and other industry partners to join the movement to protect the oceans.