Asics To Launch Sustainable Shoes Made Of Leftover Airbag Materials

In taking the art of recycling to another level, Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. has teamed up with major sports equipment manufacturer Asics to make a “sustainable sneaker” using airbag fabric and steering wheel leather leftovers from its manufacturing process.

Beginning Jan 26, the Asics Sports Style range and other models will be made using these leftover materials that are generally difficult to recycle. Prior to this, Toyoda Gosei has been transforming these materials into other sustainable products such as bags, pen cases, and other products that are retailed under the Re-S eco brand.

With this joint collaboration with Asics, the existing carbon-intensive materials that are currently used in the sneaker production would be swapped to a highly durable nylon fabric used in airbags while still featuring excellent design, including embroidered seams.

This range will kick off with the Asics Gel-Sonoma 15-50 “Toyoda Gosei” for starters and will generally appeal to the younger generation of clientele with a high environmental awareness.

At first sight, the Gel-Sonoma 15-50 "Toyoda Gosei" does not appear to be much different from the other ASICS models, which was the intention from the start to maintain the existing design appeal while appealing to the sustainable crowd.

The Gel-Sonoma 15-50 "Toyoda Gosei," made from leftover materials, would feature layers of white airbag fabric with red stitching, suede, and off-white thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) overlays to achieve the desired classic-look that is clean while also offering the durability and comfort buyers desire.

These styles will be released in Japan on January 26th, with more to follow in the near future as Toyoda Gosei and Asics reinforce their commitment to a sustainable future.