When shopping for sportswear, "environmental impact" probably isn’t the first factor on a customer’s mind. Comfort, style, support... These are the features that you look for in a quality pair of shoes. At Stripe 3, however, we recognize the environmental significance that clothing has, and we affirm that the best athletic apparel shouldn’t come at the expense of the planet—in fact, it might just be a solution.
Now more than ever, humans are being called to acknowledge the way we impact the earth—not just through the miles we drive or the foods we eat, but also in terms of the clothes we buy. This impact is often referred to as an ecological “footprint,” with a smaller footprint equating to a more sustainable lifestyle. Admittedly, the responsibility to reduce our impact can be quite overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. In fact, Adidas has come up with innovative ways to repurpose plastic, so that you can feel better about the activewear that you buy.
Right now, many of the products that we sell are already made from recycled polyester, and this commitment to sustainability will only increase in the coming years. By 2024, we aim to completely phase out virgin polyester, so that all products containing this plastic-based textile are made from recycled materials. In order to work toward this goal, we currently sell to sustainable lines of sportswear, Primeblue and Primegreen.
The first material, Primeblue, is made in partnership with Parley Ocean Plastic. Primeblue comes from plastic bottles that are gathered from polluted beaches, transformed into a high-performance fabric, and woven into Parley products. These products, which include the Ultraboost Parley, Terrex CC Voyager Parley, and Parley Polo, feature the same lightweight, breathable qualities that customers have always enjoyed in our shoes and apparel.
More recently, we began selling products with Primegreen, a second high-performance material made from recycled materials. Some of the products featuring this innovative new fabric include the Tiro 21 Track Pants and the Supernova running shoes. These shoes give the term “environmental footprint” a whole new meaning.
In short, you shouldn’t have to compromise between being an athlete and leaving a small environmental footprint. By shopping at Stripe 3, you have the power to be both—and to be part of the solution.