“The permanent renunciation of fur underlines our commitment in searching for and scaling up sustainable material innovations.”

Adidas has announced it is banning animal fur from its supply chain to ‘take a clear stand on animal welfare.’

The sportswear giant, which doesn’t currently use fur in its collections, also became the 1,500th apparel company to join the Fur Free Retailer program that includes the likes of Lacoste, the Prada Group, Zara, North Face, H&M, ASOS, Zalando, and Marks & Spencer.

The Fur Free Retailer program is an initiative by the animal-rights coalition Fur Free Alliance to connect fur-free companies with consumers seeking ethical goods.

Joining this program, which currently operates in more than 25 countries means taking an ethical and public stand against fur fashion and also offers each company a chance to promote a public policy against violence and cruelty, and lend its support to international efforts trying to end this ‘unnecessary and cruel fashion choice’.

‘Forward-thinking’

“We are thrilled to welcome Adidas as the 1500th brand to join our Fur Free Retailer program,” Brigit Oele, programme manager of the Fur Free Alliance, said.

“Not only is the commitment to a fur-free policy compassionate, it is also forward-thinking.

“Today’s consumers support fashion brands that care about animals and the environment and Adidas’s move towards sustainable materials makes it a leader in that regard.”

Vegan Adidas

According to Adidas’ senior vice president of sustainability, Frank Henke, the move is in line with the brand focusing on sustainability in all areas of its product range and business operations.

“We have already been exclusively sourcing more sustainable cotton since 2018, will only be using recycled polyester from 2024,” Henke said.

The German sneaker brand has been expanding its vegan range since it added recycled materials to its lineup in 2017 with the launch of “Parley” versions of its popular Ultraboost running shoes containing material made from ocean plastic waste.

In 2018, it launched a vegan version of its iconic Stan Smith sneaker with designer Stella McCartney, followed by an upgraded version in 2019.

Adidas also revamped its Originals- Samba and the Continental 80 designs using vegan materials as part of its “Our Icons go Vegan” line.

The brand’s most popular vegan shoes listed by Vegans With Appetite in 2020 include Alphaedge 4D, Ultraboost, Stella McCartney Stan Smith, Pureboost, Adillette Slides, Parley for women and Ultraboost, Parley, Denim Daily Sneaker 2.0, Questar Flow, Adilette Slides, and Terrex Tracerocker for men.

‘Sustainable material innovations’

The brand has also announced that it will be launching the first running shoe that is ‘made to be remade’, while also developing plant-based leather made from fungus to use for the very first time in the creation of footwear.

“The number of vegan products with three stripes is growing; since last year, for example, the popular sneaker classics Stan Smith and Superstar have been available as vegan versions,” Henke added.

“The permanent renunciation of fur underlines our commitment in searching for and scaling up sustainable material innovations.”

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