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Leading badminton manufacturer Yonex unveils shoes made predominantly from recycled materials, championed by elite players like Chen Yu Fei and Viktor Axelsen after the World Championships in Denmark.
As sports equipment companies face mounting pressure from fans and shareholders to prioritize sustainable sourcing and ethical production, Yonex has incorporated recycled materials into its products, particularly clothes and shoes.
With an increasing number of environmentally conscious consumers demanding more sustainable options, Yonex believes that utilizing recycled materials satisfies their needs, contributes to waste reduction, and reduces dependence on finite resources.
The company, known for manufacturing the official tournament shuttlecocks used in major Badminton World Federation (BWF) events and the Olympic Games, has sponsored apparel and equipment for numerous players at the recent world championships, including Chen Yu Fei from China, who won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and Denmark's Viktor Axelsen.
Yonex revealed that both athletes have debuted the POWER CUSHION 65 Z C-90 sneakers, made with approximately 90% recycled polyester in the upper area's material.
Although incorporating sustainable materials into footwear can present challenges due to variations in physical properties compared to traditional materials, the company ensures that the functionality of these new shoes remains on par with their predecessors.
Shinichiro Chiba, the head of Yonex's environmental enhancement department, expressed confidence that the athletes would not experience any discomfort wearing the new sustainable shoes. He explained that Yonex has overcome material blending hurdles to balance sustainable and traditional materials.
However, Chiba acknowledged that completely transitioning all raw materials to sustainable alternatives is difficult, as suppliers predominantly mass-produce traditional counterparts. In pursuit of its commitment to sustainability, Yonex currently integrates sustainable materials in 83% of its apparel products, including organic cotton and recycled fibers, and intends to reach 100% in the future.
As part of its sustainability initiatives, Yonex is also experimenting in China with recycling old tennis and badminton racket strings to produce polyester used in players' apparel. The company's dedicated environmental enhancement department focuses on technical advancements to further bolster its use of sustainable materials.
Photo: Yonex Newsroom
