This sneaker brand is now making shoes from recycled airbags

In a collaboration with Japan’s Toyoda Gosei, Asics plans to make use of the fabric from deployed airbags to manufacture shoes that are possibly stronger and more durable than shoes made from conventional materials. A new shoe model made from airbag fabric has been called Asics Gel-Sonoma 15-50 with its red stitching and numbering carried forward from the airbag.

The Asics Gel-Sonoma 15-50 is only available in Japan at the moment and costs 16,500 yen or approximately $128 or ₹10,500. And while its exterior portion largely depends on fabric from used airbags, its other components are quite standard.

At a time when car manufacturers are looking at more sustainable ways of manufacturing, upcycling and recycling has taken centerstage. In this regard, making use of thousands of airbag fabrics for shoes could go a fair distance in ensuring these airbags don’t get thrown to the bin as these have been for years now.

First Published Date: 25 Jan 2023, 13:54 PM IST