Core77

Nike Answers Sustainable Footwear Trends with New Flyleather Material

The company's most exciting material development since Flyknit

By Emily Suzuki - September 18, 2017

in Sustainable Design | Sneakers | Materials

Nike's Flyknit has become synonymous with the brand, now used in everything from sneakers to sports bras. The knit material is more sustainable than many materials used in footwear and fashion, mainly due to its minimal waste production. But since Flyknit's conception in 2012, Nike has been more focused on silhouette than material development, providing a hole for competitors to fill with a plethora of sustainable options.

It seems as though a fire has been lit under Nike's butt, as the company just announced its latest sustainable effort, Flyleather. The name Flyleather may sound like a sick biker jacket worn in Grease, but the material is actually a valid alternative to real leather, as it's still made from at least 50% of the real thing.

Nike Flyleather Tennis Classic

Instead of reinventing the wheel entirely, Nike is taking resources they already have access to and putting them to better use through a more sustainable production process. To create Flyleather, Nike collects real leather scraps discarded from regular sneaker production, turns the scraps into fiber and then combines the scraps with a polyester blend using a high-pressure hydro process.

Even though leather is only the 10th most used material by Nike, has the second highest environmental impact for both carbon and water. According to Nike's research, the hybrid material will use 90% less water and the carbon footprint will be 80% lower than traditional full-grain leather. Flyleather will be produced on a roll, which will improve cutting efficiency and further reduce waste. In terms of performance, sneakers made with Flyleather prove to be 40% lighter and five times more durable.

Nike Flyleather Tennis Classic

The first product to feature Flyleather is the Nike Flyleather Tennis Classic. Keeping it simple, the sneaker is all white and steers clear of any crazy design additions.

In the coming months, Nike will also release Flyleather versions of the Air Force 1, Air Max 90, Cortez, Jordan 1 and an updated Tennis Classic. If you're in the US, you can sign up to win one of the new pairs here.

When looking at the sneakers mentioned above, you can really see what Flyleather is capable of:

Nike Flyleather Jordan 1

Nike Flyleather Jordan 1 toe box detail

The slight perforated detail of the Flyleather proves that this is a material easily manipulated either digitally or manually with the hydro process. If Flyleather becomes a regularly used material, at the very least, Nike will be able to significantly lower their carbon footprint.

o

Favorite This
Q
5

Comment

Comments

NEW DRESS CODE fashion

6 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Sam makes a good point - it does seem like the product is hard to dispose of responsibly later. I like much more Adidas Parley and Ecoalf brand's model as the model for repurposing plastic into sustainable products - they remove the ocean plastic and make trainers out of them.

Also, leather is quite sustainable :) You can get some sustainable fashion shoes from independent brands here: https://www.newdresscode.com/womens-sustainable-fashion/shoes

!Report as spam
Sam Harrington

7 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Seems strange to pitch this as a sustainability win. Mixing of biological and synthetic materials means this can neither be recycled or composted. I would like to see Nike address the issue of micro plastics in the environment, as their synthetic apparel are contributors to the emerging planetary problem.

!Report as spam
- Adam Ales
  
  Sam Harrington
  
  7 years ago
  
  Z
  
  Z
  
  Reply
  
  The material is sustainable by being a recycled product. It is recycling scrap leather into a new and useful raw material. Not all recycled materials can be continually recycled and there's no statement as to what they do with the scraps of Flyleather. They may have figured out how to recycle that back into the next sheet further reducing waste and increasing the sustainability of this new material.
  
  !Report as spam
Ken K

7 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

(Um, I don't think you mean "unanimous." Maybe "synonymous with the brand" or perhaps "ubiquitous within the brand"?)

!Report as spam
- Emily Suzuki
  
  Ken K
  
  7 years ago
  
  Z
  
  Z
  
  Reply
  
  Thanks for the correction Ken - oversight on my end.
  
  !Report as spam