I'm sorry, this is complete nonsense..

To be really green, we should all "buy nothing." We must stop falling for this kind of opportunistic marketing which simply takes advantage of consumer interest in being green.

Next we'll all be shopping for Green Hummers.

Please stop promoting these heavily marketed commercial "pseudo-green" products and focus on the grassroots green efforts going on all around us!

Or has Treehugger sold out?

Thank you.

Hmm, why not make it of trampled human rights and child workers?

as the (or one of the) people who recommended this story. i'm not saying by buying this shoe you will save the world. instead, it's a suggestion of a basketball shoe to buy if you need a basketball shoe. if you want to buy recycled shoes from simple or whoever for casual wear or vintage shoes, that's great! but what if you play basketball? those options won't work. here is a good option. also, steve nash is great.

Removing Nike from this picture and reflecting on the idea that the only way to be green is to buy nothing is critical here. While the idea is altruistic in its essence, it is also quite impractical. Basic human needs require food, water, shelter, and clothing, all of which need to be purchased. The benefit of purchasing does not only affect the consumer, but it enables the workers that have produced those goods to survive in todays society, and yes it is VERY important, to ensure that the companies employing these people practice and provide ethical working conditions. The point is, as humans, we need and will continue to consume, but it is our responsibility to consume consciously and in moderation. These Nike shoes are not necessary for most of us, but are a great resource and option for those who would have consumed a pair of sneakers otherwise. Some effort is better than none and lets face it, consumer goods are based on supply and demand, so we as consumers have the power to change the market direction.

I don't agree with the comment about this being nonsense. Any step in the right direction is a good step. Some may see this as a way for Nike to make more mone, which they will, but if they can do so in a manner that will help the planet, then why not?

"Hmm, why not make it of trampled human rights and child workers?"

Their shoes are already made out of those things.

It's a step forward for people who _need_ to have shoes

You know, I may not think this is the best idea and I certainly don't have a high opinion of Nike, but this is a great way to reach out to the younger generation who aren't paying attention to the environment. Even if the shoe itself isn't what some people call green it is better than what kids buy right now and it raises a social and environmental issue in the minds of the people who sill some day be in charge of the planet.

There will always be these fancy sports shoes- why not have one that attempts to be green and raises the green flag?

Wouldn't not shipping it halfway across the world be more environmentally friendly? Start making these shoes in the US and maybe I'll pay attention.

I think its great that Nike is trying to be more sustainable. Having Steve Nash behind this is also a great thing, so many young people look up to him, maybe they will be exposed to something that they normally wouldn't and might make better choices because of it. Its great that you Margaret don't feel the need to purchase things, i try to reduce my consumption as well, but try telling that to Nike and their Shareholders. This is the imperfect world we live in and when giants like Nike start to take notice of the environment its a step in the right direction.

I'm sorry are you two (previous comments) complaining about something green?
How many shoe lines are made out of new, wasteful materials?
How much clothing is made from sweatshops?

I just think you are fighting the wrong battles...
and for one of the comments, I hope that you're not buying anything to back up that green stance. And how can you exaggerate these shoes being more wasteful than other shoes (like Hummers are)? Are they larger?

I think that the fact that we even have this option is a good idea, but then I also think that the elitist attitudes are not what is needed in the push to have a more environmentally friendly world.
Positivity is key. Because your everyday Joe Schmo, wont want to get involved if all he heres is "your buying into a fad, your not really green - however I in my vintage flip flops am really changing the world"...

Absolutely, Robby. It's one thing to do whatever you can for the environment, but it's completely delusional to expect that everyone believes as strongly as you do. The overwhelming tide of "Nike is evil:" does not address any sort of methodology to correct the blatant consumerism that made Nike so friggin powerful and well-recognized.

Guess what? We're ALL GUILTY of consumerism. Unless we're willing to make the effort from gentle nudges to the holy war-dedication it would take to fight crusades, we are not going to make a difference. We should applaud companies like Nike and individuals like Steve Nash for championing the Trash Talk.

Now we have to see what more can be done.

Don't forget if you buy any new sneakers, recycle your old ones at Nike's store locations. They take everyone's sneakers with some restrictions. They grind them up to make playgrounds for our youth.

See http://letmeplay.com/reuseashoe/locations for locations near you all over the world.

Also, note there are restrictions as to the amount and type of sneakers they will take. Some locations will not take more than 10 without permission to accept more. As for the type, they do not want sneakers with metal on them, cleats, etc. Before you take over your sneakers, check out their restrictions.

You can also mail them to their headquarters too. I collected sneakers for a recycling project for my children's school a couple of years ago when you could sign up with your state coordinator to run a collection program. This program no longer exists unfortunately. For a small district, I must have collected over 300 sneakers since kids go through sneakers so quickly.

Anna www.green-talk.com

hmmmn, Im realy worry of many parties' effort to help our earth nowadays. All the efforts seems inequivocal and not whole heartedly. The temperature and the environment are changing rapidly( We can see what happened in china in this early of the year and last year the great flood in United state). We are destroying our earth faster than saving the earth.
Hope all the rich countries will really given out their heart to save the earth for our next generation NOW.
Not very soon,it is now, the changes to ours earth seems realy critical. Sigh, ANYONE ELSE NOTICE THIS ??

A few months ago I had the chance to ask Michael Braungart about the human rights issue, since Nike is working with MBDC to become Cradle to Cradle. His response was that MBDC required them to address the social issues before they agreed to work with them.

My son and I play a lot of basketball... we burn through the shoes. This is a great opportunity to buy something recycled that still performs. Thank you Steve Nash... now how can we purchase online?

Nike still sucks, but I am in need of some new athletic shoes (mine are 8 years old and falling apart) and if they have a product like this, I'll take it.

Yeah but Converse All Stars are made of canvas and rubber; are way more stylish and don't involve slavery (or do they?)

The fact remains that there are still too many
people in the world who want / need shoes.
Zero Population Growth would at least help slow
down the overwhelming numbers of people who
are trashing our beautiful planet.

Dear Nike:

(1) Use solar power to power the zigzag machines (the whole factory would be even better) in China that make these shoes. [Solar power conversion could be funded by the huge profits Nike is making off of its products]; and

(2) Purchase carbon credits to offset all of the fuel burned for shipping the shoes, as well as for the designers' product development trips from Portland to China to develop products;

...do the above, and then maybe it could be considered a worthwhile product.

How much of the "waste" is actuallyt used - what % of "waste" is this diverting from the landfill?

Why not eliminate the waste in the first place through better pattern placement and cutting? Tessliate the pattern pieces and cut without waste.

Calling this recycled, or waste reclamation is greenwashing when the "waste" could have been prevented.

The amount of labor and energy required for all the extra stitching of small pieces adds eco and human impact.

Why not also use materials that can be composted or recycled in to new fabric that could be used more efficiently if waste is unavoidable?

Greenwash anyone??

So 'newsflash', Nike have found a way of making even more profit, but how could their scandalously cheap trainers be markettable...?
>inside the mind of Nike capitalist corporation

'oh yeah, those green suckers will love them! we might even win back all of those ones that continue to boycott us because of that exposure regarding labour in foreign countries. Its a perfect plan, dont u think? I mean those suckers are ready to break, i mean did you see how many of them ran back 2 makkyD's once they started using recycled paper bags? We've hit the jack-pot again freddie'

I'm all in favour of using scrap and minimising waste, but these capitalist corporations need to start reinvesting in the communities from which they are taking before they get our endorsement, not justifying profit drives through green glorification and getting a pat on the back.

I feel sorry for Nash and all other like him, inspirational role models that are fooled and some blinded by wealth into representing such selfish, irresponsible corporations.

I am surprised and concerned by treehugger, but assume it is just a report on popular 'green' news as opposed to 'endorsement'. I agree with the other true treehugging commenters that I would prefer to receive news about grassroots and 'real' change as opposed to this garbage cos it has a tendency to make my blood boil !

Good day

BTW, it's remuneration, not renumeration.

When they are done with the workers, they just grind them up and compress them into new workers or maybe outer soles.
When they are done with the recycled outer soles, they lash them together and make bumpers for the mopeds that the workers ride on on their day off.
When they are done with the mopeds, they throw them into a compactor and make bales of the metal to line the sides of race tracks. They keep the other workers from getting hit by errant mopeds.
The race track itself is made from recycled ,"green", eco-friendly, official Earth Day sponsoring, organic, low sodium, trans-fat free, freedom- loving, patriotic, kid-tested, mother approved, ground up workers.

Soylent Green was greenwashed, too.

First of all we don't live in a world where you can "stop buying" that's just an ignorant statement and I won't dive into that further I mean come on. What do you plan to do for a living? #2 Converse is part of Nike for the person up there who prefers Converse, and Converse partners with Target and Target doesn't use slave labor so I guess you're good there if you like the One Star product that Target is carrying now. #3 Even using that little bit of waste off the floor is a start so don't hate unless you have a better idea or are truly making your own shoes. Every bit helps and if you can't see that then you can't really call yourself an environmentalist.

For a start, the Trash Talk shoes are being produced in extremely limited quantities, and are only being sold at one physical location, the House of Hoops in New York. So to suggest that this is motivated by profit is ridiculous.

These shoes are more a proof of concept than anything else, extending Nike's Considered sub-brand past lifestyle shoes into their athletic product line. Also, the fact that Steve Nash is promoting them has as much PR value for the green movement as it does for Nike, if not more. This is a good thing.

Yes, it's a baby step, but if you want Nike to change, ask yourself which feedback you'd be more likely to respond to:

A) This a cynical attempt to use a mockery of sustainability as a marketing tactic. I'm boycotting Nike.
B) This is a good start. I hope Nike continues in this vein.

this isn't the only "green" thing nike has done recently ... the jordan xx3 was also made to higher sustainability standards using less toxic glues and degradable rubbers as well as more stitching in the upper to cut down on adhesives

also, they are building a new distribution facility in Memphis, Tn right now that will be one of the largest green warehouses in the world, probably THE largest in the US - it is over 1.1 million square feet, is designed by LEED certified architects and should qualify for the LEED Silver certification, and possibly the Gold certification ... and it will create hundreds of new jobs

"Yeah but Converse All Stars are made of canvas and rubber; are way more stylish and don't involve slavery (or do they?)"

Converse are owned by Nike.

Wow! This is very interesting! As a student (Deisgn Academy, Eindhoven, the Netherlands) I had to do a project for nike, about 3 years ago. At first I didn't want to do it, because I don't agree with nike's work ethics. But if I didn't do the project I wouldn't pass my semester. So I deceided to make a nike shoe that I would buy myself.

My shoe was made out of manufacturing waste, and was pieced together with big zig zag stitchings in bright colors (also waste). It looked quite similar as these.
The BIG difference however was that in my concept the shoes would be made locally, in small workshops (one in every city), by people who normally wouldn't get a job easily (like homeless people who don't have a postal adres and thus can't work. nike would provide things like shelter, food, clothing, and money). The workshop would be powered by green energy.

Nike really liked my project, and published it in a small catalogue. They were also part of a nike exhibition in Portland.

Oh yeah, my shoes were called "Nike Trash", hee hee.