Nike’s releasing a new Space Hippie colorway. Here’s when they drop.
These “wheat white” sustainable sneaks are likely to sell out fast.
On Thursday at 10 a.m. ET, Nike is releasing a new version of its Space Hippie 01 sneaker. It’s called “wheat white”, with a faded black knit upper, speckled white sole and copper side swoosh. Sneakerheads, tree lovers and anyone interested in sustainable fashion will get a kick out of the shoe’s upper, which is made from 90% recycled materials including yarn scraps, T-shirts and plastic bottles.
The insole — which is the padding inside the shoe — is made of foam scraps, a byproduct of the ZoomX cushioning used in many Nike running shoes. Even the shoe box is eco-friendly, made of repurposed materials and stamped with plant-based ink.
All in all, these shoes are made of 50% recycled materials by weight.
A pair of Space Hippie 01 sneaks costs $130. You can buy ’em on the Nike website. If you’re interested, we recommend snapping up a pair ASAP, since past collections have all sold out.
Final thoughts? These shoes are cool enough to wear on the street or to the gym — a worthwhile investment, since they’ll match pretty much any color in your wardrobe and are comfortable too.
Good to know
Nike offers free shipping and returns when you have a free membership account.
What are Space Hippie shoes?
Space Hippie is Nike’s eco-friendly line of “exploratory footwear”, part of the company’s effort to come up with innovative design methods to reduce its carbon footprint. The line was inspired by life on Mars, where survivors need to make do with what they have because there’s no resupply mission planned. Here on Earth, where Americans throw away 35 billion plastic bottles each year, that means making sneakers out of trash.
In addition to uppers made of recycled plastic, Space Hippie shoes make use of Nike Grind, the material that Nike developed from used and unsalable footwear.
Nike’s Space Hippie shoes come in the following models:
- 01 — A standard sneaker that’s higher around the ankle.
- 02 — A pull-on sneaker without laces.
- 03 — A true high-top sneaker with eclectic details.
- 04 — A standard sneaker that’s lower around the ankle.
It also sells a unisex Space Hippie T-shirt for $50.
Where else can I buy sustainable sneakers?
If the Space Hippies you want are no longer in orbit (read: sold out), browse these brands to find your next sustainably made shoe:
- Allbirds. Each pair of Allbirds shoelaces is made from one recycled water bottle. It sources wool from sustainable sheep farms and packages its shoes in recycled cardboard.
- Everlane. Its Forever sneaker is made of 50% recycled cotton with 100% recycled polyester laces.
- Merrell. It collaborated with beer brand Dogfish Head to make train runners that use recycled plastic in the upper and outsole, along with midsoles made of 10% algae.
- Rothy’s. Super cute Mary Janes, loafers and flip flops made of marine plastic and recycled water bottles. The footbeds are made of renewable, plant-based materials.
- Saola. Simple sustainable sneakers with uppers made of recycled plastic bottles — polyethylene terephthalate to be exact — and outsoles made of algae foam and recycled EVA.
Another away to shop sustainably? Buy vintage shoes. You can find unique styles at bargain prices on sites like Etsy and Ebay.
Photo: Nike
