Green Running Shoes

Running shoe manufacturer Brooks recently announced plans to release a new, environmentally friendly running shoe in 2010. The shoe, which will be known as The Green Silence, will be available to customers in February 2010, and will boast a design that is made entirely of recycled materials.

The heel cups of the shoe will be reinforced with recycled CDs, while the laces, mesh, lining, and stitching will all be made from discarded plastic water bottles. Foam from old sofas will be reused in the collar, or padded area of the shoe, and the soles will be constructed out of recycled rubber. Brooks even claims that the midsole of the shoe is entirely biodegradable, a claim which the Federal Trade Administration of the United States remains skeptical of.

Even with those doubts, the trend towards more green and eco-friendly footwear is here. Shoe brands are using sustainable materials like hemp and recycled rubber more often, and companies are using more environmentally-friendly methods of producing and transporting their products.

The recycled materials that Brooks is using for its Green Silence are coming from various countries around the world, a point that many environmentalists would make that the company is not using local resources, which would be the most eco-friendly. However, Brooks states that the transportation involved only makes up a small percentage of the shoe’s total carbon footprint.

Brooks also encourages it’s customers to donate old shoes to Soles4Souls, a non-profit organization that distributes shoes to those in need. A similar program is run by Nike, called ReUse A Shoe, where the rubber from old shoes is recycled into turf for fields and other equipment.

While it may not be possible for Brooks to please every environmentalist with the Green Silence shoe, it is certainly a step in the right direction. For years now, running shoe and apparel brands have been using more sustainable products as a way of marketing a greener product. Companies have experimented with Beachwood as a material for socks, as it is highly sustainable and has great moisture-wicking properties. Merino wool has been a very popular material in running socks and clothes, as it is a natural fiber with excellent moisture wicking and cooling properties.

Companies that use silver as an additive for its antimicrobial properties have cleaned up the manufacturing process as well. What used to be a very polluting process has been cleaned up, with fewer emissions and less pollutants.

As these products become available, customers will start to request them, and look at the materials used in the products they buy. With a trend towards sustainability and greening our routines, running brands may be leading the foot race.

Central Florida Foot & Ankle Center, LLC
101 6th Street N.W.
Winter Haven, FL 33881
Phone: 863-299-4551
http://www.FLFootandAnkle.com