Eco Kicks: Sean Wotherspoon & Adidas Release Vegan SuperEarth Sneaker Collab

Sean Wotherspoon, one of the most renowned sneakerheads in the world and brainchild behind the famous Nike Air Max 97/1, has teamed up with sportswear giant Adidas to launch SuperEarth, a new collaboration of vegan-friendly and sustainable sneakers. With this latest release, it looks like animal-free and eco-friendly kicks are taking over the mainstream.

Having co-founded the vintage boutique store Round Two and designer of one of the most iconic Nike sneakers in the world, the Air Max 97/1, Wotherspoon has now linked up with the Three Stripes for his next groundbreaking move. He’s now turning Adidas Originals’ classic shoe, the Superstar, into the SuperEarth. 

After months of teasing the internet with photos of his designs, the SuperEarth collection has officially launched on Adidas’ website and on the app for US$110. The shoe, described as the brand’s latest move to “end plastic waste”, is made out of recycled materials and is completely free from animal products, making it 100% vegan-friendly. 

Read: 8 vegan eco sneakers we’re loving right now

The shell-toe sneaker is constructed from waste materials such as cork and OrthLite for the insole and recycled paper for the laces. The body of the SuperEarth itself is made using synthetic leather that contains recycled polyester. 

Talking about the shoe in an Instagram comment, animal advocacy nonprofit PETA said: “These fab vegan shoes are a dream come true. Thank you for creating stylish and unique shoes that are saving our planet and the animals who live on it. You are leading the way towards vital changes in the sneaker world.”

It’s only the latest in a slew of sustainable sneaker launches by Adidas in recent months. Earlier, it announced a partnership with eco footwear label Allbirds to create the “lowest ever carbon footprint shoe” for sports performance, which followed its 2020 pledge to use at least 50% recycled materials and plastic waste for all its products manufactured this year. 

These fab vegan shoes are a dream come true. Thank you for creating stylish and unique shoes that are saving our planet and the animals who live on it. You are leading the way towards vital changes in the sneaker world.

PETA

Of course, other sportswear giants are also on board with the sustainable bandwagon, with Nike unveiling its Space Hippie collection of vegan-friendly sneakers made using recycled waste, plastic bottles and yarn scraps and Reebok’s 100% plant-based performance running shoe. 

But it isn’t just footwear going eco – streetwear is embracing it too. American street casual label Champion recently debuted its upcycled line called Re:Bound, which contains recycled fabric spun out of recovered textile waste, and features sustainable design techniques such as trendy patchwork – perhaps the perfect outfit to pair with Adidas’ and Wotherspoon’s new SuperEarth sneakers!

All images courtesy of Adidas.