#HTE

Nike’s “Space Hippie” Sneaker Line Made from Cut-Offs, Recycled Bits and Leftovers

Nike’s latest project started with “in situ resource utilization,” a space exploration ethos where you expect no re-supply, and improvise with whatever’s on hand; think MacGyver, or the numerous hacks Mark Watney pulled off in The Martian. Nike’s attempt to manifest ISRU principles has yielded the Space Hippie, a line of sneakers essentially made of trash.

Not just any trash, of course. Nike’s designers used a combination of recycled products and their own factories’ manufacturing waste; recycled water bottles, T-shirts and yarn scraps for the former, foam cut-offs and Nike Grind granules for the latter. These were stitched together to create four different models, with aesthetics ranging from design student to Afropunk.

Nike Space Hippie 02 Nike Space Hippie 03 Nike Space Hippie 04

“Space Hippie,” the company writes, “is the result of sustainable practices meeting radical design.” It will be interesting to see how the market reacts when the shoes become available, which should be this spring.