Nike believes it has made the most environmentally friendly soccer cleat ever out of beans, water bottles, and faux-kangaroo leather.
And it's not just a concept design either. Brazilian star Neymar and a host of other Nike-sponsored players will wear the brand new boot at the Olympics in London this summer.
So what makes it so green?
- The "traction spine" — which runs down the center of the sole — is made of a material derived from castor beans, which are not only natural but require less water than many other usable plants.
- The sockliner is made of 100% castor beans. It also was made without any added chemicals.
- The exterior of the shoe is made out of Kangalite — a solvent-free material that acts like Kangaroo leather, which is traditionally used in soccer cleats. Nike says manufacturing Kangalite involves 35% less carbon emissions than similar materials.
- The tongue is made out of a polyester derived from recycled water bottles, which are melted down and made into thread.
The result is what Nike calls it's lightest, fastest, greenest cleat ever.
The shoe is part of a growing effort to make athletic apparel more environmentally friendly. At the Olympics, you'll see a host of teams wearing uniforms derived from sustainable materials. The Brazil soccer team, for example, will wear Nike uniforms made out of the same plastic water-bottle material that is used on the GS cleats (you can see how water bottles are turned into uniforms here).
In addition to being environmentally friendly, the GS's also look great — with bright green toe guards that really pop against the simple black side panels:
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