The Japanese sportswear brand Asics claims to have developed a sneaker with the smallest CO2 footprint currently available.
The new product – the Gel-Lyte III CM 1.95 – emits just 1.95 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) during its life cycle, which the brand says is “significantly” less than the previous record holder.
For comparison, Adidas teamed up with Allbirds in 2021 to launch a running shoe with a carbon footprint of 2.94 kilograms CO2e per pair.
According to Asics, the new sneaker, which will hit stores next year, is the result of a decade of research and development that began when the brand partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2010 to “find a better way to find a way to accurately measure the CO2e impact over the entire life cycle of a product”.
Thanks to this research, Asics was allegedly able to optimize its product in the four most important phases of its life cycle: materials and manufacturing, transportation, use and end of life.
Asics has introduced a number of innovations, including a “new carbon negative foam” that forms part of the midsole and insole and is made from a fusion of bio-based polymers, some of which are derived from sugar cane.
The sneaker also features recycled and solution-dyed polyester in the main upper and mesh in the sockliner.
The brand added that 100 percent renewable energy was used throughout the manufacturing phase of the product.
Asics said its carbon emissions calculations were validated by Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) Japan, an inspection, verification, testing and certification company.
This translated article originally appeared on FashionUnited.uk.