These New Sneakers Are Made From Recycled Plastic Bottles (and They're So Cute)

Trying to live a more sustainable and fashionable lifestyle? Then you've come to the right place, and yes, the two can coexist beautifully. I recently went on a mini adventure to Boston, Massachusetts, to visit the Converse headquarters where the brand was cooking up something particularly exciting—its first collection of sustainable sneakers, Converse Renew. The intention behind this new initiative was to really push the creative limits of the process Converse uses to make its shoes. Instead of using new materials for every pair, this collection uses existing ones.

By the end of the year, there will be more versions released in the collection (including a denim version I can hardly wait for), but for now, we're focusing on the first drop of sneakers, which are made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. So how exactly does that work? Well, first, Converse works with First Mile to collect, recycle, and source the plastic bottles from developing countries. Then, those plastic bottles are ground down into flakes, melted, and eventually spun into yarn. From there, the iconic Converse canvas you all know and love is created, and before you know it, you have yourself a Chuck 70 Renew sneaker with an upper (the canvas part) that's made from 100% recycled polyester via those plastic bottles we talked about earlier. Pretty cool, right?

Well, what's even better is that this new collection of sneakers is insanely cute. Everything from the colors to the kitschy writing to the fresh color-blocking gives you that nostalgic feeling you've always loved from Converse, with a newfound excitement knowing that by purchasing them, you're living a more sustainable life. Ahead, shop the Converse Renew collection in all the colorways, and be sure to keep an eye out for more styles to drop as the year goes on.