Running with nature in mind. How to train in an environmentally friendly way?

Caring for the planet and conscious consumption are among the hottest topics of the last few years. Eco-activists have tried to shout to the rest of us and explain how important it is to think about what you buy and how much non-biodegradable waste you leave behind. And if it has not yet been possible to put these thoughts into the heads of ordinary people, manufacturing companies have long realized that a lot depends on them.

Today, more and more products made of recycled materials are appearing on the market. That is, everything that usually lies in landfills for centuries, instead turns into the latest collections on the showcases. And you can’t tell the difference from the usual stuff! Another alternative to “harmful production” can be called “growing” clothes and shoes. Brands make models from plant materials, which are not inferior to artificially created ones in terms of technological parameters. All this also applies to sports equipment, because these things fall into disrepair the fastest, and accordingly are replaced by new ones.

Today I’m going to test Reebok’s “plant-based” running novelty. But for now, let’s understand why you should choose eco-friendly outfit at all.

Why do you need eco-friendly clothing?

Since I myself am new to the subject, I will use the experience and knowledge of colleagues and scientists. The fact is that the fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters of the planet. For example, 10% of greenhouse gases come from the fashion industry. The Vegetarian portal tells us that people make more than 100 billion new garments from new fibers every year. And imagine how many of them remain unbought on the shelves! Of course, most of these items are sent to landfills. And so do the ones that do find their owners. It happens to them a little later.

Studies say that dyeing and processing of fabrics affects water pollution and even ranks second after agriculture. In other words, sustainable materials should be as easy to handle as possible and cause as little damage to the environment as possible.

The portal “Such Cases” notes that such materials can be divided into three groups:

– organic fabrics made from natural raw materials grown by organic farming methods: cotton, linen, wool, cashmere, silk;

– fabrics made from easily renewable crops: hemp, bamboo, nettle, corn, banana, jute, soy, algae;

– fabrics from recycled raw materials: polyester from recycled plastic bottles.

By the way, according to this year’s survey, as much as 67% of consumers when buying clothes and shoes look at how eco-friendly its composition is. Unexpected and cool, isn’t it?

Can eco-friendly shoes be as good as conventional shoes?

Let’s go back to running shoes. Many athletes are sure that if eco-equipment can still have good moisture absorbing or moisture repellent properties depending on the purpose, then running shoes made of plant materials will definitely not withstand all the load that the athlete will put on them. And I admittedly thought the same thing.

However, a test drive of the Forever Floatride Grow showed that “grown shoes” can be resistant, and the model meets my highest requirements as an amateur.

But since the sneaker’s most important feature is its eco-composition, I’ll note a few details.

• The upper is made of eucalyptus bark, a breathable biodegradable material that is extracted in a way that is safe for the forest ecosystem.
• The insoles made of algae collected in invasive areas resist the appearance of unpleasant odor during a workout.
• Natural rubber from the sap of the rubber tree was used for the sole (most often shoe rubber is made from petroleum products).

From the functional points, I especially liked the cushioning of the sole. And the only disadvantage that I noted – it is too miserable to run in such light-colored beauties in bad weather.