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Adidas is kicking off a new research project to develop a new type of sporting goods that will never be thrown away.
Through Sport Infinity, a European Commission funded research project led by the German sports goods giant, designers and football fans will be able to constantly reimagine and recycle their dream products using an inexhaustible 3-D super-material, says Adidas.
The research project brings together a variety of industry and academic experts, and combines broken-down sports products with excess materials from other industries.
As a result, the football boots of the future could contain everything from carbon used in aircraft manufacturing to fibres of the boots that scored during the World Cup, maintains the company.
Indeed, every gram of sportswear, including the boots of Lionel Messi, will be broken down to be remoulded again in a waste-free, adhesive-free process that gives consumers more scope for personalisation than ever before.
Four-time FIFA Ballon d’Or winner Messi said: “I am proud that Adidas is working to make sure that all of their boots, including mine, are being made in a way that protects the environment. For me, this is the future of football.”
Adidas says that the new super-material will make every sports fan a product designer with a pair of boots being able to be restyled as often as the wearer wants without worrying about waste.
Gerd Manz, vice president technology innovation at Adidas, said: “This is a game-changing development for football fans. Over the next three years, Sport Infinity aims to end the days of throwing away football boots. Instead, every pair of boots is not just recycled but reimagined to the consumer’s most personal specifications.”
Glenn Bennett, executive board member global operations at the Adidas Group, added: “Sport Infinity is the next step in our commitment to innovation and sustainability.
“This project will close the sustainability loop, creating a high-performance product that can always be recycled.”
