For runners, footwear is one of the most important – and often most expensive – pieces of gear. Experts say the typical lifespan of a traditional running sneaker falls between 500 to 700 kilometers , or about four to six months, depending on usage. With some shoes costing hundreds of dollars, it can certainly add up.
Driven by EU sustainability goals, other European companies are also leading the way in shoe recycling, like Italy’s Eso Recycling, which collects, processes and creates new materials from end-of-life gear. “ is one piece of the solution that will allow us to reduce the volumes that are circulating,” Fuentes-Mendel says of FastFeedGrinded, but she believes the industry needs advancements in technology and automation for footwear recycling to scale up.