The Circular Runner: Update your Workout wear with recyclable sneakers

There’s nothing worse than tossing out your favorite running sneakers, only to replace them with another soon-to-go pair. Every year around 300 million shoes are thrown out, filling up landfills and taking about 25-40 years to decompose. Synthetic shoes don’t belong in landfills, but reselling or donating worn-out athletic wear is out of the question. Well, you’ll never have to stress over throwing out your favorite pair again. We’ve done some digging and found The Circular Runner, sneakers made to be worn, torn, and returned only to become a brand new pair and begin all over again.

We’ve picked 7 brands releasing unique and stylish, recycled, and recyclable sneakers to shop from this summer! So whether you’re working out or styling an athleisure look, you can feel good about what you’re buying and who you’re buying from.


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ON Cyclon

Would you believe us if we told you you could subscribe to wear a shoe you cant actually own?? For 29.99 a month, you get to wear, tear, and use the Cyclon sneaker and then send it back to be remade into a brand new pair and sent to someone else. This exciting new service would close the loop on the brand’s sneakers and create a totally sustainable sneaker.


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All Birds 

Allbirds newest lightweight running sneaker, Tree Dashers, is made of renewable resources. All AllBird sneakers that are only lightly worn shoes are donated to Soles4Souls. We added them to this list because the use of renewable materials allows you to recycle your old running shoes with no worry. You can browse a wide range of eco-friendly running shoes on their site, men’s and women’s styles in various neutral and even seasonal bright colors.


PRIME BLUE ULTRABOOST DNA GEAR

This year Adidas released a sustainable counterpart to the Ultraboost DNA Sneaker. Its made with Primeblue, a high-performance recycled material made in part with Parley Ocean Plastic. 50% of this runner is made of Fabric, and the rest is made entirely of recycled materials. Adidas offers a range of colors, styles, and even a unique pride version for June that is beyond fun. Their recent sustainability initiatives are as stylish as they are eco-friendly. They have started working with All Birds to improve and collaborate on designs. Who doesn’t love competitors coming together and collaborating for the sake of the planet and product?


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Salomon INDEX.01

On the higher end of the budget, french brand Salomon has released the INDEX.01, a sneaker Designed to be disassembled; it’s also made of recycled materials!. After you’re done with your sneak, it can be separated apart for easy recycling. Salmon has recently started a few drop-offs where you can even directly recycle the sneaker to them to reuse it.


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Vivobarefoot

Vivobarefoot recently launched a sneaker in collaboration with The Oxygen Project. Not only does it raise awareness for harmful algae blooms, but it’s literally made of algae. The ULTRA III BLOOM Is made of BLOOM foam created from algae, taking it out of waterways and transforming it into something you can wear. Vivobarefoot is currently working to improve the formula so the sneaker can become biodegradable instead of only recycled. They have countless other options made of vegan and recycled materials, like the GEO RACER II. We included this brand to buy from and to watch out for as they create and release more in the future.


Lane Eight

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Lane Eight is a sneaker brand with shoes made from recycled plastic, algae-based cushioning, and vegan suede. We picked Lane Eight for their wide range of running shoes in various colors and styles available. Lightly worn sneakers get sent to Shoes That Fit to give returned shoes another chance. They’re on a “mission to make the world’s best workout shoes.”, but above all, supply you with a fun and sustainable sneaker to workout in.


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Recycled by Reebok

Reebok introduced Reecycled by Reebok, a wide range of sneakers, and even accessories, made from recycled materials. From natural materials to recycled plastics, you can find everything from running sneakers to tennis sneakers in fun colors and patterns to update your wardrobe. So if you want a variety to pick from for your workout wear, Reebok has it all.


Another favorite is the HOKA Speedgoat GTX

–Julie Klein