Made to Be Returned: Asics Announces the Nimbus Mirai™ Running Shoe – Its Most Circular Shoe Ever

ASICS today announces the NIMBUS MIRAI™, a performance running shoe designed to be remade at the end of its life – all without compromising the quality or performance you would expect from a GEL-NIMBUS™ product.

In Japanese, the word ‘MIRAI’ translates to future, reflecting ASICS’ commitment to make a positive impact on future generations of runners, paying them a kindness in advance.

Designed with recycling in mind, the NIMBUS MIRAI™ running shoe is launching with a new returns program, encouraging runners to give back the shoes at the end of their use to support their journey towards circularity.

The NIMBUS MIRAI™ represents another important step in ASICS’ mission to achieve net-zero carbon emissions as a business by 2050, hot on the heels of its iconic GEL-LYTE™ III CM 1.95 shoe, which saw ASICS create the lightest CO2e emitting sneaker on the market last year.

Shoes made to be remade, so they can run again

The new NIMBUS MIRAI™ is one of the most advanced shoes ASICS has ever made. Designed with uniform polyester material, the entire upper has no overlays, meaning the shoe can be easily sorted to be placed under recycling process when the time comes.

A special type of original ASICS-created glue also promotes easier recycling process, providing a durable bond that can be put through its paces but easily pulled apart for its next lifecycle. In fact, the whole shoe has been designed for the upper to be easily detachable from the sole when the time comes.

At this point, the entirety of the upper will go through the recycling process. ASICS has confirmed through testing that 87.3% of the upper material, which underwent the recycling process, can be retrieved as a new polyester material ready to be remade to run again.

Additionally, the shoe features an FF BLAST™ PLUS ECO midsole that delivers cloud-like cushioning and is made from approximately 24% renewable sources such as leftovers from sugar cane processing. The NIMBUS MIRAI™ running shoe delivers the quality and performance runners would expect from ASICS while prioritizing sustainable design.

As part of its circular ambition for the NIMBUS MIRAI™ shoe as a whole in the future, ASICS is also working with its partners to ensure the shoe’s sole too has a second life as part of the recycling process.

Joining the Race Towards a Sound Earth 

Creating a circular journey for the NIMBUS MIRAI™ running shoe is ASICS’ rallying cry to runners as we tackle a significant issue in the shoe manufacturing industry.

For a long time, shoes have been designed with single use in mind. However, the sheer quantity of the roughly 23.9bn shoes* produced globally each year that goes into landfill or incinerated at the end of their life is simply not sustainable if we’re to create a Sound Earth.

ASICS’ approach to shoe design ties in with its philosophy of helping everyone achieve a Sound Mind in a Sound Body – factors that are only possible if we have a Sound Earth to move on, for this generation and the next.

NIMBUS MIRAI™ is a celebration of ASICS’ unique design philosophy – based on a dedication to creating superior products and technologies validated by the ASICS Institute of Sport Science.

Designed with returns in mind

In an ASICS first, runners can return the NIMBUS MIRAI™ at ASICS stores or through shipping in a number of markets around the world to give their shoes new life and purchase their next pair. The participating markets include, The U.S., Canada, UK, Netherlands, France, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

As ASICS continues to realize its commitment to sustainability, it hopes to make circular sportswear the norm. Fumitaka Kamifukumoto, project leader of the NIMBUS MIRAI™ product development, at ASICS said: “The announcement of NIMBUS MIRAI™ is a proud moment for us and an important milestone in our ambition to be a net-zero carbon emission business by 2050. It has remained our focus not to compromise the product’s performance at all, so that runners can wear the shoe as they would any other from ASICS – protected and supported as they replenish their body and mind. We ask runners to take an extra step with this shoe, however, and bring it back to us once they have finished with it. That way, we can continue our mission towards creating a Sound Earth for future generations.”

The NIMBUS MIRAI™ running shoe will be available for men and women from ASICS retail and online stores from April 12, 2024, for $180.

Find out more about the NIMBUS MIRAI™, its advanced technologies, and how you can contribute to our circularity efforts in your home nation at asics.com/mk/mirai.

* Footwear production worldwide 2022 | Statista