Nancy Bocken is professor of Sustainable Business at Maastricht University. For the Third Floor, she interprets the impact of the fashion industry on the environment and she shares tips on how both the government, sneaker brands and sneaker lovers can make more sustainable choices.
Sneaker production is exceptionally carbon-intensive. A typical pair of running shoes generates approximately 13.6kg of CO2 emissions. Most sneakers consist of problematic materials, including synthetic rubber and plastic, which are created using energy-intensive processes and bound together using glues that are harmful to the environment. The scale of sneaker production is growing, with millions of pairs ending in landfill and taking decades to degrade. There is a multitude of promising projects underway to address these issues, including innovation in materials and manufacturing, a concerted effort to repair and recycle, and a greater understanding of circular design.
Materials and manufacturing innovation
Designing out waste and pollution, and keeping products and materials in use, are two key principles of circular design. Using biodegradable materials in the production process and developing less harmful alternatives, such as animal-free leathers, are some of the more sustainable choices sneaker brands are making. Younger brand entering the industry pride themselves on transparent supply chains and more ethical working practices. Some of the ways in which brands are tackling inherent flaws in their manufacturing practices include designing modular systems, where elements of a shoe can be easily replaced, reducing the steps in the production process, the use of glues, and excessive travel and transport.
Repair, Remake, Create
Caring for and preserving sneakers in their best condition has long been an important part of sneaker culture. Services such as customisation, re-dying and remaking are growing in number and popularity, and breathing new life into old sneakers has become important for many designers and makers. Consumers can play a part in circular design, long after a shoe has been produced and worn. Efforts are also being made to create a more equitable future for the sneaker design industry, by ensuring that more diverse
voices and interdisciplinary design practices are included in the process.
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Titi Finlay is a London based content creator, sneakerhead and sneaker activist working. For the Third Floor she tries to answer the question: why can’t sneakers be gender neutral?
Some were banned, while others stir up very strong emotions, and then there are also lawsuits between makers and brands.
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The sneaker industry is vast. It has grown exponentially over the last two decades and shows no sign of slowing down. In 2021, for example, about 1.2 billion sneakers were sold worldwide which is almost double the amount of sneakers sold in 2012.
Nowadays, sneaker culture is a global phenomenon, but it was born locally, even before the rise of the internet. The series Sole Origins takes you to the cities that have had a great impact on this.
In our sneaker dictionary you will find an overview of the most important, most used and sometimes just plain fun words.
Everyone can point out the sole of a sneaker, but what about the upper? Where is the mustache? And what do the eyelet and the aglet have in common? Find out in this sneaker anatomy.
Still the sneaker's popularity remains undiminished, especially among young people. Worldwide subcultures keep adding specific models to their daily uniform.
In the 1990s, the sneaker gained a foothold in the Netherlands thanks to gabbers and bubbling, but a unique way of styling the sneaker also emerged in London.
When sneaker brands realized the popularity among young people, they tried to entice them by using musicians and athletes as role models.
Sneaker culture has become ubiquitous thanks largely to the influence of young people from diverse inner-city neighbourhoods. They have been instrumental in elevating sneakers from pure sportswear to sought-after icons of style.
Most sports shoes that we now consider groundbreaking arose from solving core design concerns, such as traction, fit, stability, cushioning and energy return can help to improve athletic performance.
In the 1990s major sports brands ventured outside their comfort zone, entering into exclusive partnerships with small retailers and progressive fashion designers.
Sneaker culture has become ubiquitous thanks largely to the influence of young people from diverse inner-city neighbourhoods. They have been instrumental in elevating sneakers from pure sportswear to sought-after icons of style.
Few objects are as universal or as diverse as the sneaker. Which is one reason why the sneaker has become the undisputed cultural symbol of our times, bridging culture, design, fashion, music and technology.