Adidas Unveils World’s First Biodegradable Running Shoe Made From Synthetic Spider Silk

From 3d printing to recycled ocean plastic, Adidas has thrown everything we know about traditional sneaker manufacturing on its head as a part of their sustainability-focused Futurecraft initiative.

Described by the company as a “[creative hub] where imagination meets innovation,” their mission is to “expose the illusion of impossible and venture beyond the limits defined by the past” as a way to “disturb the present and create the future.”

And while it’s one thing to create a workshop full of mediocre outsole prototypes made on 3D printers without plans to scale manufacturing, the company is…well, actually managing to get closer to that goal without sacrificing the performance needs of athletes.

More recently, the Futurecraft team teamed up with AMSilk, a fellow German company that manufactures synthetic spider silk called Biosteel. Along with having incredible strength worthy of supporting the foot of an active athlete in a lightweight shoe, the Biosteel also happens to be biodegradable. Together, the two companies collaborated on an entirely new type of running shoe that merges sustainability with performance: the Adidas Futurecraft Biofabric.

© adidas Group (photographer: Hannah Hlavacek)

© adidas Group (photographer: Hannah Hlavacek)

Says James Carnes, Vice President of Strategy Creation at Adidas:

“In a year of ground-breaking innovations from Adidas, the announcement of our partnership with AMSilk – and the unveiling of the Adidas Futurecraft Biofabric shoe – is another step in our commitment to redefining the sports industry.

This concept represents premium innovation. By using Biosteel fiber in our products, we have achieved an unrivaled level of sustainability. We are moving beyond closed loop and into an infinite loop – or even no loop at all. This is a pioneering stride forward beyond sustainability into a new territory of bionic innovation.”

© adidas Group (photographer: Hannah Hlavacek)

© adidas Group (photographer: Hannah Hlavacek)

While the shoe is still in a prototype phase, the company is hoping to launch it in stores next year.