OPENING IMAGE CREDIT PAUL POGBA
Sustainable and ethical clothing has been making waves in the fashion world lately. Its market is expected to grow to
$8.2 billion by 2023, and more brands are looking to develop sustainable products and practices. Even fashion and
sports giant Adidas has chosen to dive deeper into the movement. The brand recently launched its first-ever all-
vegan shoe in collaboration with iconic designer Stella McCartney and World Cup-winning soccer player Paul Pogba,
who plays in the English Premier League for Manchester United.
Image credit B R Football
THE LIMITED-EDITION PREDATOR FREAK
The first-ever vegan soccer boot “Predator Freak” is meant to combine the vegan sustainable standards of
McCartney and the elite performance standards of Pogba. After appearing together on The Huddle in 2020, McCartney learned about Pogba’s interest in design and how fashion was a representation of his personality on and off the field. This interaction was the inspiration for the limited-edition boot.
As the latest iteration of Adidas’ iconic Predator shoe, it features the same distinct silhouette. The white Primeknit
upper is decorated with the classic leopard print and Earth Protector graphics. Adidas’ trademark Demonskin rubber
spikes follow a calibrated computer algorithm to ensure proper ball control and swerve. And for this model, the spikes
are colored a bright, signal orange hue. The signature Adidas by Stella McCartney comes in an opalescent finish and
an ombre rainbow metallic plate and heel logo. This is actually the first time a pair of cleats has carried this feature.
Finally, the shoes are gender-neutral, and of course, all-vegan, making use of 100% vegan materials and part-
recycled components. The boot will be available in two styles: the Predator Freak P+, which has a laceless
construction and a sock-like fit to hug the foot, and the P1 model, which features the same sock-like fit, but with a
much lower collar. These were officially released on the Adidas app on October 22 and made available to purchase
on November 1.
ADIDAS & STELLA MCCARTNEY FOR SUSTAINABILITY
This isn’t the first project the pair has collaborated on that pushes for eco-friendly garments. McCartney first linked up
with Adidas in 2005 and has been working towards becoming more sustainable every year since. In her spring 2019
collection, 70% of the materials were recycled, 50% of which were used for footwear. She was also able to introduce
a new 4D printed shoe that produced almost zero waste and has been a pioneer for new technology and sustainable
fabrics ever since.
McCartney and her namesake brand have been leather-, fur-, and feather-free since 2001. Recently, their team was
able to create and launch the world’s first-ever clothing line using vegan mushroom leather. The garments are made
from Mylo Mycelium, an infinitely renewable material derived from an underground root system of fungi. While Adidas
was able to create a line of trainers using mycelium, Stella’s line will be the first time the material will be used for
clothing.
Similarly, Brazilian footwear brand Melissa and Parisian brand Rombaut have also teamed up recently to create
a recycled sandal and trainer line made from PVC from factory waste, renewable carbon content, and PET bottles. Thus, we can expect more and more brands, like Melissa, Rombaut, and Adidas, to continue revolutionizing the
fashion industry and make it more sustainable in the near future.
