New Balance has officially unleashed newSKY, a new line of Minimus-like athletic footwear with uppers made of 95% post-consumer plastic bottles. This upper material is called Eco-fi. New Balance on the bottle-to-shoe process:
Within just a few steps, plastic becomes a usable, recycled textile. Bottles are chopped into flakes, heated, and molded into fiber, creating a strong, versatile fabric. In addition to the environmental benefits of reusing plastic bottles, Eco-fi’s technical qualities make it an exceptional textile for footwear.
The average pair of newSKY uses the equivalent of eight 20-ounce PET bottles. The shoes are also built with less material than traditional New Balance athletic shoes through thoughtful upper pattern design. The barefoot-inspired profile offers a sleek look and lightweight, comfortable fit while bright color pops in the laces and outsole and baseball stitching provide a fresh and stylish appeal.
Neat-o, eh? Check out a few colorways you’ll see at retail, and a quick photo/video rundown of the process behind newSKY, below. For more info on the newSky project, click here. New Balance newSKY officially drops this Saturday, October 1st at Nordstrom, Shop New Balance, and New Balance stores.
