After months of teasing, Sean Wotherspoon and Adidas have officially unveiled their eco-friendly Superstar. Dubbed the Superearth, the collaborative sneaker from the Round Two co-founder is entirely vegan and utilizes recycled materials. Wotherspoon himself is vegan, and his latest sneaker is one of only a few Adidas shoes made without animal products.
Instead of leather, the upper is made using 100-percent recycled polyester adorned with an embroidered flower pattern with loose threads originally drawn by Wotherspoon. Boosting sustainability is a cork-based insole, a highly renewable resource, and an outsole made from 90-percent natural rubber. The remaining ten percent is sourced from rubber waste.
"People know that I'm vegan, and it's a foundation of who I am," Wotherspoon said in a press release. "It's a cornerstone of all my projects and part of sustainable living."
From Swoosh to Stripes —
The Superearth marks Wotherspoon's third collaborative sneaker and first with Adidas. His Nike Air Max 1/97 was one of the most hyped releases of 2018 and, ironically, ended up back in his Round Two stores for a steep markup. Wotherspoon's Asics Gel Lyte III, released in June, didn't carry the same hype — and the Superstar isn't likely to either. But that'll only make it easier to secure, whether in the initial release or in a less inflated resale market. Besides, hype is exhausting.
Adidas is beefing up its roster —
While Adidas paved the way for high-fashion designers collaborating on sneakers, Nike has overtaken its rival in recent years with high-profile collabs. Adidas has been in need of a breath of fresh air, and its recently announced partnership with Noah is a step in the right direction. Like the Wotherspoons, the Noah collab is focused on sustainability and does so by utilizing Adidas' Primeblue material sourced from recycled ocean plastic.
Retail should be cheap —
While pricing hasn't been announced, the Superstar is generally one of Adidas' more affordable sneakers. General release Superstars go as low as $60, and even the Human Made collaboration is priced at only $140. That sneaker is still up for sale, so perhaps the Superearth won't be gone in a flash when it hits Adidas' site on August 29.
Then again, the Wotherspoon cohort doesn't play. So don't take any chances.
