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Late last month, the European Union published the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation commonly referred to as ESPR. The ESPR signifies a major step in the EU’s objective to increase product sustainability in the EU and boost the circular economy. Without skipping a step, Nike already seems to be making strides towards a more sustainable and circular future for their product lifecycle.
Photos were shared with Nice Kicks of a new sneaker cleaning station at the Nike Berlin store, branded with ‘Refresh Your Kicks.’ The process is simple: register, prep your sneakers, and let the machine do the cleaning while you shop. After a thorough cleaning, your sneakers are dried in a separate area and all that’s left to do is re-lace.
Something to note is that from the photos we were able to see that Sneaker LAB products appear to be used in the process. As we have covered in the past, Sneaker LAB offers environmentally friendly sneaker care solutions that harness the power of biotechnology using bacteria and enzymes to clean your shoes, unlike most other cleaners and aerosol sprays that use harsh chemicals derived from oil and hydrocarbons.
It should be noted that Sneaker LAB has become the choice partner for several brands in search of an innovative way to approach product lifecycle through sneaker care. Brands that have partnered with Sneaker LAB include New Balance, PUMA, Crocs, Axel Arigato, Karl Lagerfeld, and fashion house DIOR.
While Nike has been in the news recently with criticism of their apparent “lack of innovation,” it is refreshing to see them continue to be one of the industry leaders for sustainability and designing for a better future.
It would be nice to see Nike roll out the ‘Refresh Your Kicks’ to more stores across Europe, and for that matter, around the globe.
