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BANG FOR THE BITE
If 10,000 Biters choose a pair of trainers made from eco-rubber, we'll conserve enough petroleum to fuel a Prius for the length of 130,196 Olympic marathons (which are just over 26 miles).
COCKTAIL FACT
While running, your feet hit the ground an average of 800 times per mile.
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home › tip library › Running Shoes
Got skillz to rival a Jamaican track star?
The Bite
Keep the pace with eco-friendlier running shoes. Check out green trainers that allow you to keep up with the best of 'em, even if your phone isn't exactly ringing off the hook with endorsement offers.The Benefits
- Not running far to find them. Big names like Brooks and Nike now offer green options, and they're widely available.
- Gold-medal fabrics. Alternative materials such as silicone-based green rubber (instead of petroleum and PVC, which may release carcinogenic dioxins during production).
- Animal-free finish lines. Some lines are vegan and forgo the leather.
Personally Speaking
Toshio's dad gifted him a pair of eco-friendly Brooks, just in time for his next session of boot camp.Wanna Try?
- Brooks Trance 8 - incorporates the first-ever biodegradable midsole, an eco-rubber outsole, and recycled cardboard packaging. Also: a men's version ($140).
- END Stumptown - one of the lightest cross-trainers out there, made using partially recycled materials and less-toxic rice- and water-based glues. Also: a men's version ($80).
- Nike Considered Humara - trail runners with most materials sourced from within 200 miles of manufacturing plants. Also: a men's version ($70).
- One World Running and Reuse-a-Shoe - orgs that redistribute or recycle your old running shoes.
Sep 30,2008
Sponsor
Six years ago, a crazy person (my friend Scott) convinced me to run the NYC Marathon. The best parts: The NYC crowds; seeing my mom after the 59th Street Bridge (aww); and my college buds running the last mile with me. The worst parts: my now crappy knees; watching a 75-year-old man run past me; and my deteriorated running shoes.
I was in a panic over finding a shoe that wouldn't tear off my toenails, but never considered its impact on the earth - until I read Cradle to Cradle, which goes into the poor design of most shoes (combining organic materials like leather with non-eco ones like rubber, vinyl, and adhesives - making it difficult to fully recycle). Since then, I've found some orgs helping to keep millions of pairs of shoes outta landfills. Check 'em out:
- Reuse-a-shoe turns your old sneaks into basketball courts, tracks, and playgrounds.
- RecycledRunners.com has a list of shoe donation programs across the United States (benefiting the homeless in your area).
- PlanetAid.org will send them to developing countries, with drop-off containers in major cities.
-Senior Editor Theresa...off to wash the grime off my old pair so I doesn't have to buy new...
Biter Comments...
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Towable Tubes | October 13, 2008 at 04:59 AM