Billie Eilish Launches Vegan Nike Air Force Ones
Scheduled for release on 25 April on Nike’s SNKR app, the sneakers are 100 percent vegan and crafted from environmentally-conscious, recycled materials.
Credit: Nike
Longtime animal advocate and Grammy Award-winner musician Billie Eilish has teamed up with shoewear brand Nike to release a new eco-friendly, 100 percent vegan sneaker and athleisure range.
As part of the four-piece capsule, launching on 25 April worldwide via the SNKRS app, the singer will be reimagining the classic, much-loved Nike Air Force 1, incorporating her own oversized signature style in the form of chunky extra-large velcro straps, a feature inspired by two other Nike classics, the Alpha Force Low and Air Trainer 3. The sneakers, called “Bille”, come in a tonal mushroom color and showcase Nike’s “Swoosh” branding on the outer upper as well as Eilish’s name on the footbed.
For Eilish, the new range was a chance to reimagine some of her favorite Nike silhouettes by putting an environmentally-conscious spin on them. The entire shoe is made from 18 percent post-consumer recycled content, including a synthetic nubuck upper that uses 80 percent recycled materials, and 100 percent recycled polyester details. In addition, the underfoot is formed with Nike Grind, a material made from unused manufacturing materials, and end-of-life footwear.
“The challenge and opportunity with this collection was to respect the originals, but make them my own,” says Eilish. “It was also important for me to mix in environmentally preferred materials where we could and present them in a way that felt fresh.”
Most iterations of the Nike Air Force 1 aren’t vegan as the uppers are typically made using animal-based leather, a material that is causing widespread environmental destruction and animal and human suffering globally. Thankfully, collaborations with ethically-conscious celebrities like Eilish often help encourage brands to incorporate exciting, cutting-edge, animal-free materials.
Nike shared the images of the sustainable sneakers on Instagram alongside a quote from Ellish, “In this collection, I wanted to respect the originals while making them my own.”
Eilish took to Instagram to share news of the collaboration with her 103 million followers: “so excited to announce my new @nike air force 1 and apparel collection. it was an honor to reimagine the originals while making them my own & i can’t WAIT for them to be yours.”
This marks Eilish’s second collaboration with Nike. Last year, the singer released another vegan sneaker collection with the brand. Crafted from more than 20 percent recycled material, the Air Jordan 15 and Air Jordan 1 KO styles also had the environment in mind.
The 20-year-old is known for using her platform to promote causes and charities that she supports. And having been vegan for over seven years, she regularly posts about the suffering of animals and the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle to her over 100 million Instagram followers. Just recently, Eilish voiced support for a new bill that aims to help school districts overcome barriers to serving healthy, climate-friendly plant-based meals.
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