What is Nike Next Nature?

When it comes to sustainability, it’s no secret that generally the sneaker industry sucks at it. Having shifted from a niche, collectors’ hobby to a worldwide, cultural phenomenon, sneaker and sportswear brands are struggling to keep up with the demand. This demand is approximately 23 billion pairs of shoes a year, with 300 million pairs thrown out in the same amount of time. And with most sneakers constructed from nylon, rubber and plastic - all materials with extremely high carbon footprints - it’s time that sneaker companies admitted they need to up their game when it comes to creating more earth-friendly trainer options.

Nike has been in the sustainability sphere for a while now. Their ‘Move to Zero’ campaign, which was unveiled in 2019, is the company’s journey towards a ‘zero carbon and zero waste’ initiative. As well as making moves to reduce the amount of plastic used in their offices and on their campus, Nike introduced the ‘Circularity’ design campaign, which encourages more thought and conversation behind how we can reuse and recycle materials to create new items, rather than them just going to landfill.

In the past, Nike’s sustainable sneaker offering hasn’t always gone down so well style-wise. Despite all Move to Zero products being made with at least 20% recycled content, the flyknit-constructed Space Hippie wasn’t considered a must-cop across the board. That being said, with Nike’s main aim of the campaign being to ‘save the future of sport’, it made sense that they went straight to reconfiguring their sports sneakers in a more sustainable light, rather than their lifestyle silhouettes. That’s where Next Nature comes in.

That being said, Nike’s ‘Next Nature’ line does expand to running shoes. Their Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next Nature just landed, and boasts an impressive reminder of the sneaker’s dedication to the planet on the medial sidewall. The road racing shoe is constructed using at least 50% recycled materials by weight and is moulded using 3D-printing technology (Flyprint). As well as this, the midsole and outsole is built from recycled ZoomX foam that provides unrivalled cushioning for your runs.

The aim of Nike Next Nature is to create footwear that is durable, practical and long-lasting, yet fashionable, stylish and something that people actually want to wear. Models such as the Blazer (and their platform edition), the VaporMax, and even the Air Jordan 1 all rep much more sustainable textiles and materials which they didn’t before. On their journey to zero carbon emissions, Nike are doing everything possible to make hyped shoes and sustainable shoes one and the same.

Move to Zero, as said by Nike, works to minimise their environmental footprint as a business and maximise avenues for positive impact as a brand. The end goal? Zero waste. Completely. The Next Nature shoe line is a part of this. By helping move popular silhouettes to a more sustainable and better-for-the-environment business practice, all adds to Nike’s vision of being completely waste free. Even in the financial year 2020 to 2021, the Swoosh Brand increased their renewable energy-operated facilities to 78% of all factories; a 30% increase in 365 days.

On the insole of Nike’s Next Nature sneakers you’ll find a pinwheel logo and often - but not limited to - a neon-green insole. They will also always have Next Nature in their name. If you see a Nike Air Force 1 without the Next Nature title, then you can be sure this isn’t the most sustainable option on the market, as it isn’t made from recycled materials. Luckily, the Next Nature line includes some of the most sought-after, well-liked silhouettes of current times, including the Nike Dunk Low Next Nature and the Nike Dunk Low Disrupt 2. Take a look through some of our favourite Move to Zero-inspired Next Nature products below to shop or set a release reminder! Unfortunately the Nike Dunk High hasn’t appeared on our radar yet, but surely it’s just a matter of time?

Interested in finding out more? Check out our article: ‘Take Part In Nike’s Move To Zero Initiative Toward A Greener Planet’.

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