In Nike’s push for both innovation and sustainability, the Swoosh explores a different approach towards sneakers: one that ditches glue and allows you to disassemble to make recycling easier. This is what Nike wants to prove with the ISPA Link and its completely detachable design.
“Creating a shoe that can be taken apart would reduce the carbon footprint of the product and open up new possibilities for its life cycle.”
Being a sneaker that ditches the use of glues, Nike claims that it only takes around 8 minutes to assemble the ISPA Link, which is a fraction of the time it takes to manufacture a conventional sneaker.
Because of its glueless design, the ISPA Link comprises three interlocking modules: the midsole has pegs that seamlessly fit through the upper’s openings, while the upper is made from recycled materials that are repurposed into yarns. The lower portion appears to be replaceable to prolong the life of the sneaker.
The ISPA Link Axis comes with a 100% recycled Flyknit upper that’s engineered to fit over the outsole, along with a 100% recycled TPU tooling that uses scrap airbag material.
“Our hope is that these ideas and aesthetics become normalized, accelerating our ability to imagine how shoes will continue to evolve in the future,” Nike VP for Catalyst Footwear Product Design Darryl Matthews said.
The ISPA Link is expected to arrive this June, while the more colorful ISPA Link Axis is slated to arrive by early 2023.
