Nike’s New “Space Hippie” Shoes Are Made From Scrap Material

The shoe collection isn't the brand’s first foray into sustainable products—but it definitely has the sassiest name.

Nike
Nike

With sustainability and its respective buzzwords booming, plenty of the brands are introducing products made from mindfully-sourced materials.

Activewear megabrand Nike is among them, having made more of an effort over the years at becoming a mindful company after coming under scrutiny. In September 2018, they introduced their Flyleather, made with at least 50 percent recycled natural leather fiber. In September 2019, they unveiled their Move to Zero initiative to reduce carbon emissions, cut back on plastic, and power their facilities with renewable energy. Now, they’ve introduced a new sustainable product collection with an extra sassy name.

Space Hippie is a new “avant-garde” footwear collection that “has purpose, but doesn’t veer from Nike’s legacy of goosebump-inducing design.” Though the shoes are made of scraps from Nike’s cutting room floor, the brand is making sure to emphasize their interesting, hip ethos to make sure buyers know they’re not skimping on edginess.

"I'd say Space Hippie attacks the villain of trash," Nike Chief Design Officer John Hoke explained in Nike’s announcement earlier this month. "It's changed the way we look at materials, it's changed the way that we look at the aesthetics of our product. It's changed how we approach putting product together."

Comprised of four different designs, the shoes are made from “Space Waste Yarn,” using recycled materials ranging from plastic water bottles to yarn scraps. They’re also made with recycled ZoomX foam.

The interstellar, sustainable shoes will be available to buy in the spring.