Nike Considered.

We’ve been following the work of culturepreneur Jeff Staple for a while now, so we were pretty excited to hear that Nike Considered, a project he and his team began developing more than four years ago, would be making its mass market debut next month. Nike’s upcoming Air Jordan XX3 will be the brand’s first truly green sneaker, made fully “Considered” - which, according to Staple’s blog, must maintain these benchmarks:

1. Must be made from recyclable materials. (i.e., 100% recyclable plastics or veg-tanned leathers.)
2. Zero Toxins. Zero chemical adhesives. (no glue.)
3. Mechanical vs Chemical. (using mechanics and engineering to put the shoe together instead of chemical solutions.)
4. Closed Loop Technology. (the shoe must be able to come back 100% as another shoe or something else. Nothing goes to waste.)

Limited edition Air Jordan XX3s will sell for $230, after which the shoe will retail for $185. Whether or not they meet their expectation of selling 500,000 of these, Nike is making a significant, conscious step. In Staple’s words:

“I’m really glad Nike decided to use the Air Jordan as a platform for Considered. It puts the entire process into the public spotlight. And honestly, that says a lot. In 2004, there were big people at Nike that didn’t want Considered to see the light of day. It’s great to see that it overcame.”

More pictures and background on Nike Considered here.

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