ASICS UNVEILS LIGHTEST EVER CO2E EMISSIONS SNEAKER[1], EMITTING JUST 1.95kg PER PAIR

• The GEL-LYTE™ III CM 1.95 is the result of over 10 years' research and development by ASICS to reduce emissions across all stages of the product lifecycle.
• Significantly lighter than the lowest CO₂e sneakers currently available on the market², the GEL-LYTE™ III CM 1.95 is a major leap forward by ASICS in its commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
• Key innovations within the sneaker, including a new carbon negative foam, combine to improve sustainability without compromising on quality.
• The GEL-LYTE™ III CM 1.95 and new technologies will roll out globally in AW23.

KOBE, Japan, Sept. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ASICS is today launching the new GEL-LYTE™ III CM 1.95 sneaker. Emitting just 1.95kg CO₂e across its life cycle, significantly lighter than the lowest CO₂e sneakers currently available on the market, it represents a significant leap forward by ASICS in its commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. 

The GEL-LYTE™ III CM 1.95 is the result of over 10 years of research and development by ASICS, beginning when ASICS first partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) back in 2010 to find a better way to accurately measure the CO₂e impact across the entire life cycle of a product.

In continuing to finetune its research and reapply the findings, ASICS has been able to make hundreds of incremental gains across the four key stages of the product life cycle (Materials & Manufacturing, Transportation, Use and End-of-life), identifying all the small differences that combine to make a big impact. The result is the GEL-LYTE™ III CM 1.95 - achieving new levels of sustainability without compromising on quality.

Among the sneaker's series of innovations is a new carbon negative foam, which features as part of its midsole and sockliner. Made from a fusion of bio-based polymers³ derived partly from sugarcane, these combine to deliver high-level comfort and quality in a sustainable way.

Other key design details in the shoe include the use of recycled and solution dyed polyester in the main upper material and the sockliner mesh, reflecting ASICS' target of sourcing 100% of its polyester from recycled sources by 2030.  The shoe features a new structure utilizing tape that enables less material usage,  and 100% renewable energy  used throughout the manufacturing phase.

The result of all these innovations and changes coming together is the GEL-LYTE™ III CM 1.95. The ground-breaking new sneaker is a milestone in ASICS' long-term ambition of achieving net-zero emissions as a business by 2050, helping conserve the ability of future generations to continue experiencing the uplifting power of sport on the mind.

Minako Yoshikawa, Senior General Manager, ASICS Sustainability Division said: "At ASICS we have long been committed to exploring and testing more sustainable methods through our value chain to reduce our impact on the planet. While the GEL-LYTE™ III CM 1.95 is a hugely significant milestone on this journey,this is only the beginning. Our ambition now is to continue applying the learnings and build on the blueprint of this shoe in a way that can be rolled out on an even bigger scale in the future."

Yasuhito Hirota, ASICS CEO said: "ASICS has long believed in the powerful intrinsic link between sport and the mind. That's why we're so committed to doing our part to ensure the long-term viability of our planet. That way we can ensure that future generations can continue to experience the uplifting impact of sport on the mind. To achieve a sound mind in a sound body, you need a sound earth to move on, after all. The road ahead maybe long but the GEL-LYTE™ III CM 1.95 is our latest statement of intent on this journey. We hope it can help inspire real positive change in the sports industry on the way to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050."

The GEL-LYTE™ III CM 1.95 sneaker will be widely available to buy instore and online at asics.com from AW 2023.

To find out more about the GEL-LYTE™ III CM 1.95 and ASICS' sustainability commitments, please visit https://asics.tv/cm195.

About ASICS' Life Cycle Assessment framework
ASICS' Life Cycle Assessment framework was born from joint research with MIT in 2010⁴. Over time, the approach has become increasingly advanced. More aspects in the value chain are took account and added into the calculation such as the whole transport process and several aspects of end-of-life. The final output calculation is externally validated by SGS (Société Générale de Surveillance) Japan, in accordance with ISO standards.

⁴Elsa Olivetti, Esther and Harold E. Edgerton Associate Professor in Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Randolph Kirchain, Principal Research Scientist, Materials Research Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology said: "In reviewing ASICS's latest research results, we were excited to see that the research collaboration between ASICS and ourselves, which began more than a decade ago, has led to such impactful changes in the design and production of the shoe. In response to that previous study, published in 2012, ASICS has developed innovative ways to reduce the impact of manufacturing, to use materials more efficiently, and to substitute new, lower impact materials. Furthermore, we are impressed by the ways in which ASICS has refined and extended the methods for assessing product CO₂ emissions. ASICS has extended, in both breadth and depth, data collection pertaining to CO₂ assessment. We sincerely hope that this study and its findings will encourage other firms to begin the journey to understand the impacts of their products and, therefore, to a more sustainable footwear industry."

¹ Based on a calculation conducted by ASICS and validated by SGS (Société Générale de Surveillance) Japan, in accordance with ISO ISO14067 standard in August 2022.

² Based on available industry data for life cycle CO₂e emissions as of Sep. 2022.

³ New carbon negative foam incorporates a material made from a bio-based polymer derived partially from sugarcane, called "SEPTON^™ BIO-series" manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd.

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SOURCE ASICS