Japanese sportswear brand, Asics, claims to have developed the sneaker, with the lowest carbon footprint on the market. It represents a big step forward for ASICS in its commitment to attaining net-zero emissions by 2050, emitting just 1.95kg CO2e over the course of its life cycle, much less than the lowest CO2e shoes presently on the market.

The business claims that the new product, the Gel-Lyte III CM 1.95 shoe, generates "substantially" less carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions throughout the course of its life than the previous record-holder.

In contrast, Adidas and Allbirds collaborated in 2021 to release a pair of running shoes that had a carbon footprint of 2.94 kilos of CO2e.

Asics said that the new shoe, which will go on sale next year, is the result of ten years of research and development, which started when the company partnered with MIT in 2010 "to establish a better technique to precisely evaluate the CO2e effect across the whole life cycle of a product."

That study, according to Asics, allowed it to optimize its product for each of the four major phases of its life cycle: materials and production, transportation, usage, and end-of-life.

Asics claimed to have adopted a number of new technologies, including a "new carbon negative foam" that is combined with bio-based polymers that are partially sourced from sugarcane and is used in the midsole and sockliner of their footwear.

The main upper material of the shoe and the sockliner mesh both contain recycled and solution-dyed polyester. The product's manufacturer also said that only renewable energy was utilized to manufacture the item.

Asics said that inspection, verification, testing, and certification firm Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) Japan had verified their carbon emissions figures.

Minako Yoshikawa, Senior General Manager, ASICS Sustainability Division said that in order to lessen its impact on the environment, ASICS has long been devoted to investigating and developing more sustainable techniques throughout its value chain. Even if the GEL-LYTE™ III CM 1.95 marks a very important turning point in their journey, this is just the beginning. Their goal right now is to keep using the lessons they've learned and expand on the design of this shoe in a way that will allow for a future rollout on a much larger scale.

Yasuhito Hirota, ASICS CEO, said that ASICS has long held a strong belief in the strong inherent connection between sport and the mind. They’re devoted to doing their share to protect the long-term survival of the planet because of this. In this way, they can guarantee that future generations will be able to benefit from the positive psychological effects of athletics. You need sound earth to move on after all if you want to reach a sound mind in a sound body. The voyage ahead may be difficult, but their most recent declaration of purpose is the GEL-LYTE™ III CM 1.95. On the path to attaining net-zero emissions by 2050, they believe it will serve as inspiration for significant positive change in the sports business.