Nike launches Re-Creation Program to repurpose deadstock, realise circular vision

German-based sportswear giant, Nike, is launching Re-Creation program which repurposes deadstock pieces as it looks to advance its circular vision.

Nike claims that the Re-Creation initiative enables them to develop innovative solutions in order to further its circular vision and achieve its goal of a carbon-free, waste-free future.

The first part of the program will debut this month at The Grove in Los Angeles, and will include three Nike fleece hoodie and crew silhouettes. Each silhouette is available in limited quantities, and each item has been meticulously cleaned, dyed, stitched, and patched to bring it back to usable condition. Each piece is one-of-a-kind, with patches, decorative stitching for added durability, and a variety of screen-printed Nike legacy and LA-inspired motifs.

Nike’s Re-Creation initiative helps rethink waste streams as resources and develops new value by reusing its own materials and products, as part of the company’s circular vision.

John Hoke, chief design officer, Nike, Inc, said that Nike Re-Creation captures an exciting period of experimentation and advancement. The initiative reflects Nike’s collaborative ethos, bringing specialists in design, retail, supply chain, and sustainability together to strategize and learn.

One of seven goals Nike has set for itself as part of its 2025 ambition is to donate, recycle, or refurbish ten times more products than it did in 2020 and strive toward its circular end goal is to extend the life of materials and goods. Nike introduced “shoes you can take apart” in April in an effort to increase circularity. The Nike ISPA Link Axis, set to release in early 2023, builds on and improves on the ISPA Link’s sustainable characteristics, including a 100 percent recycled polyester Flyknit upper and 100% recycled TPU tooling made from scrap airbag material.