Nike has launched the Nike GS in London, a football cleat the company is heralding as the ‘lightest, fastest, most environmentally-friendly production boot the company has ever made.’ The lightweight shoe weighs in at a mere 160 grams and features recycled and renewable materials throughout its body.
The laces, lining and tongue of the shoe are made from a minimum of 70% reused plastics, including recycled water bottles and polyester, and the traction-plate on the shoes is made from 50% renewable Pebax® Renu, a plant-based material composed of 97% castor beans. The result is a shoe that is lighter and stronger for the athlete, and more sustainable for the environment- using the castor beans makes the shoe 15% lighter than traditional cleats while the beans also require much less water to grow than other natural materials. The Nike GS are also chemical free, and the Kangaroo leather in the shoes are made with 35% less carbon emissions than traditional material. Andy Caine, global design director for Nike Football, says of the Nike GS:
The Nike GS is the lightest and fastest football boot we’ve ever made and really defines a new era in how we create, design and produce elite football boots. When you can deliver a boot that combines high end performance and a low environmental footprint that’s a winning proposition for players and planet.
