Though many companies have tried, automotive-themed footwear is usually a mixed bag. If you weren't told about the automotive connection, you'd be pretty hard pressed to see any in the resulting product. Others are simply things you wouldn't want to be caught dead with on your feet.
A new collab between sneaker maker Asics and automotive parts supplier Toyoda Gosei, however, dispenses with the loose branding connections and uses material from actual cars.
If you haven't heard of Toyoda Gosei, it's understandable. Established in 1949, it specializes in random little bits such as weatherstripping, fuel tank components, LEDs, dashboards and consoles, and airbags. As the name implies, it's part of the Toyota Group, though it's the only firm in the group that uses the family surname spelling of Toyoda with a "D" and also supplies to manufacturers other than Toyota.
According to Toyoda Gosei, the fabric used to make airbags is notoriously difficult to recycle. It also happens that scraps of it are generated during the airbag making process. So, they partnered with sportswear company Asics to transform the airbag into parts of a sneaker.
The sneaker is an existing Asics model called the Gel Sonoma 15-50. The main difference is that now the white fabric used to make the upper section of the shoe is sourced from prototype airbags detonated during the testing phase of development, which would have otherwise been discarded. Only a hint of their former life is retained in the red lines and numbers. An illustration of a detonating airbag is depicted on the insole as well.
The airbag sneaker goes on sale January 26 in Japan for $128. The Gel Sonoma 15-50 is available in the U.S., but there's no word on whether the airbag version will be sold here.