French Sports Brand Lacoste has made positive strides towards greener production of its footwear. Using cutting-edge recycled materials, the company has crafted the ECO PACK range of trainers. Jeremy Webb investigates the four sustainable models, which are all based on previous footwear icons.
The world is constantly changing, and with it are people’s needs and wants. Many consumers are now looking to purchase products that can be recycled or, at the very least, can be made with the least amount of damage to the planet. Regarding business, the fashion industry is known for being one of the biggest culprits when it comes to contributing items to landfills. Although it must be said that changes are afoot, and one well-known name proving fashion can be more sustainable is Lacoste with its ECO PACK trainer range.
Lacoste had a long history with recycling before the term was invented. The creator of the brand Rene Lacoste took existing tennis shirts and experimented with adaptations to them to allow him better fit and performance while playing.
His innovations also turned to the equipment he used, as he altered his racquet for better grip and then took others to adjust, making them lighter. Eventually, he designed the metal racquet, which changed the game completely.
Step forward into the 21st Century, and the French sports and fashion brand continues Rene’s ethos with the launch of The ECO PACK range of recycled trainers.
These four trainers are reworkings of previous iconic Lacoste models. Lacoste is committed to adopting sustainable practices, embracing recycled materials and circular principles. It is also dedicated to rethinking and reworking its icons, believing one can unite individuals through twisting and updating ideas and classics.
The four models in the ECO PACK range are the Lacoste L001, L003, the Re-Comfort, and Run Spin Eco, all sustainable interpretations of classics. Each shoe reflects on the past and the richness of Lacoste’s sporting archive and embraces future needs by advocating eco practices.
The tennis-inspired L001 Eco comes with TPU, recycled rubber, and mesh. The sportier member of the L Family, the L003, has the same recycled materials across both the sole and upper. The trainer is a new interpretation of the 80s tennis performance shoes from the Lacoste archive, which uses details from the old to entwine with a contemporary knit sock.
The Run Spin Eco has an innovative one-piece dope-dyed knit upper, a recycled mid and outsole, recycled polyester laces, and recycled polyester webbing on the front and back.
Finally, a new addition, the Re-Comfort, has a recycled TPU heel cup, recycled Ortholite in-sock, and a cored-out recoiled outsole rubber.
All the ECO PACK models feature bright, optimistic tones with shocking pink, turquoise, orange and vibrant flecked soles that highlight the use of recycled materials. The trainers all come with cheerful yellow Lacoste crocodile branding, a colour associated with global sustainability.
These four distinct trainers offer something for everyone. Each model has sustainable design elements but a distinctive look and mood, providing choice to the consumer and adding to Lacoste’s mission to innovate with its icons constantly. Rene Lacoste would be incredibly proud of how his legacy for innovation and re-use is progressing through the brand’s progressive thinking.
Final thoughts
Over recent times, we’ve highlighted many brands within the fashion industry that are ‘thinking outside of the box’ by using recycled materials and offering the materials they no longer need to others. One thing they all had in common was that they were small to medium-sized brands.
The move by Lacoste to introduce their ECO PACK trainers shows that even the biggest names are capable of change when they put their creative minds to it, and I hope that this will prompt other larger fashion bands to follow suit.
The ECO PACK trainers are priced from £100 to £115. If you want to learn more about all Lacoste products, please visit www.lacoste.com.
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