Shoes break, they go out of fashion, or you wear them down. The latter is a particular problem when it comes to running shoes. And what do you do when you’re done with them? If you’re a little more eco-friendly, maybe you take them to a shoe recycling bin. But a lot of people just throw them out. With Asics’ latest running shoe, they want to take the shoe back off you when you’re done with it. Why? To recycle the entire thing the right way.
The Asics Nimbus Mirai are focused on the future with sustainability in mind. Even the name is a nod to the future – “Mirai” means just that in Japanese.
In order to make these shoes a reality, Asics had to re-engineer how you make a running shoe. The entire upper of the Nimbus Mirai is made from a uniform polyester material, meaning it’s ready to be reborn once you’ve run it into the ground. Of course, this has to be attached to a foam base. Because every runner dreams of cloud-like bounce with every step, the Nimbus Mirai doesn’t skimp on the cushy stuff. The FF Blast Plus Eco midsole is plenty cushy, while also being sustainable. This stuff is partly made from sugar cane leftovers (sweet, right?), with fewer manufactured components.
But the real sustainable magic comes from the Asics-created glue that binds these runners together. They’re primed for easy recycling, ensuring that breaking up the shoe parts is not so hard to do. Once the glue gets heated to just the right temperature, it separates easily, allowing both parts of the shoe to be recycled properly. But you don’t want your shoe falling apart while you’re pounding the pavement. So this glue has gone through stress testing to make sure it’ll hold up on your feet.
And what about the part when you’re done with them? In order to recycle them properly, Asics wants to get these shoes back off you when you’re done with them. But you don’t want to be dealing with boxing things up and taking them to the post office, right? Fortunately, Asics set up a returns program that comes to you. You can scan the QR code on the tongue of your shoe, and arrange courier collection, with a postage label to print. And if you want to skip this out all together, you can drop them off at select Asics stores in the UK, Netherlands, and France. So, once you’ve loved and left your Nimbus Mirai™ you can send it back from whence it came, ready to be reborn.
If you’re looking to get your hands on these eco-friendly running shoes, they’re available to buy directly from the brand from 12 April for €200. For now, you’ll have to grab them from a brick and mortar store, as they’re not available online. In Europe, you can grab them from the Paris Aubry, Amsterdam, and London Oxford Street Asics stores (and return them there too). In other regions, you will be able to order them online, so this may roll out in Europe at a later date.
