adidas Five Ten effort to end plastic waste with new mountain bike shoes and apparel

Five Ten’s all new Spring 2021 apparel and footwear collection brings Parley recycled ocean plastic, Primegreen recycled polyester and sustainably sourced cotton to mountain biking.

Plastic waste and pollution are a big problem. adidas has been working hard to develop and introduce innovations to help reduce the overall carbon footprint for all product, specifically the use of new plastic and virgin polyester. As a brand, adidas aims to completely phase out the use of virgin polyesters by 2024 and have all shoes and apparel made with 100% recycled materials.  Five Ten is proud to be a part of this initiative.

As a part of the adidas family, Five Ten benefits from adidas research into recycled, recyclable and sustainably sourced materials. For Spring ’21, Five Ten is offering two of its classic flat-pedal mountain bike shoes, the Freerider and Freerider Pro, with uppers made from Primeblue Parley Recycled Ocean Plastic. Parley Ocean Plastic is an upcycled material that contains plastic waste that’s been intercepted from remote islands, beaches, shorelines and coastal communities before it can pollute the ocean. Additionally, Five Ten is launching a new riding apparel line, which utilizes Parley Ocean Plastic, Primegreen recycled polyester, and BCI (Better Cotton Initiative) cotton.  For the first time riders around the world will no longer have to compromise when looking for technical performance riding products designed to end plastic waste.

Michael Kadous, Head of North America for Adidas Terrex and Five Ten, notes that the launch of the new Five Ten apparel and Primeblue Freerider and Freerider Pro is a tangible example of Five Ten’s commitment to the environment and the pursuit of ending plastic waste. “We consistently hear from our customers that sustainability needs to be accessible and the timing has to be now.  I’m extremely proud of our product teams in how they have leveraged the technology from adidas and have brought it forward into Five Ten in such an iconic and accessible way,” says Kadous.

Luke Hontz, Senior Product Manager, Five Ten Bike, says that Five Ten is proud to be a part of the mission to bring new technology and manufacturing processes to mountain biking and to help end plastic waste. “This will bring us one step closer to becoming a fully-circular company,” says Hontz. “Our sport is built in the outdoors and as a brand we need to be accountable for the impact we have on nature and the environment.”

Photos of Five Ten athletes Danny MacAskill and Veronique Sandler are available upon request, courtesy adidas Five Ten.

Read more about adidas’ sustainability efforts here.