New Balance joins the sustainable footwear path with its upcoming model MADE Responsibly 998. The American brand has set the debut date for next Wednesday 5th at 10am (US/Eastern time) on its website.
New Balance has committed to fight climate change through urgency and transparency. Among its sustainable goals, the company announced it’s working to “source 100% preferred leather and 50% recycled polyester by 2025” as well as “100% renewable electricity for owned operations”.
Due to the use of surplus materials in unrepeatable color palettes, each MADE Responsibly 998 will be unique. The leftover materials have been used to craft the suede overlays, body mesh, lining, laces, collar strip, trim, and soles of each pair. New pieces ―like the foam paddings, heel counter and box toes― were kept to the minimum and they were taken from the brand’s stocked material toolbox.
New Balance guarantees one of a kind footwear featuring a unique color palette that will never be recreated. The pairs will be crafted in the brand’s New England’s facilities in the USA, renowned for its fine craftsmanship skills.
Take into consideration that the photos shown in New Balance’s website do not match the upcoming shoes’ color palette, which in addition will not be able to be returned. The MADE Responsibly 998 will cost $179.99 USD each.
Consciously crafted, New Balance’s sustainable approach has deeply caught our attention. Take a look at EASYdoesit and KangaROOS’ collaboration and their sneakers handmade in Berlin, Germany. Also, check out 11 by BBS (Boris Bidjan Saberi) and Salomon, a line that fuses avant-garde and techwear.
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