Synthetic Running Trainers
650g pair, mesh upper + EVA sole
A running shoe contains up to 65 glued components. The glue is why almost none are recycled — around 20 billion pairs of shoes are made each year and the vast majority are burned or buried.
Material breakdown
4 components- Polyester mesh upper120g
- EVA foam midsole240g
- Rubber-EVA outsole110g
- TPU heel counter & overlays50g
Production footprint
Per unitEstimated upstream manufacturing footprint per unit, based on resin LCA averages.
Lower-impact alternatives
- Resoleable shoesReplaceable soles triple the usable life.300gplastic
- Brand take-back programmeSome makers grind old pairs into track and playground surfaces.520gplastic
- Wear them longer, then use as garden shoesExtending life is the biggest single saving.0gplastic
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References for this item
Peer-reviewed studies and institutional reports behind the figures above.
- Environmental impact of textile reuse and recycling – A review ↗Sandin, G. & Peters, G. M. (2018) · Journal of Cleaner Production, 184, 353–365
Reviews 41 studies on textile reuse and recycling; shows reuse consistently beats recycling, and blended fabrics are rarely recycled fibre-to-fibre. Backs our low recycling odds for blends.
- Textiles and the environment: the role of design in Europe's circular economy ↗European Environment Agency (2022) · EEA Briefing
EU-level per-person consumption, water and land use of textiles, and the design decisions that drive them.
- A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning fashion's future ↗Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017) · Ellen MacArthur Foundation
System-level data on garment lifespans, collection rates and the share of clothing recycled into new clothing (<1%). Backs our end-of-life percentages.