From The Straits Times    |
4 reasons why these New Balance sneakers on Jaden Smith are vegan-friendly

While his old folks are breaking the Internet with their Red Table discussion (Google it) and younger sister Willow is headlining a campaign with Onitsuka Tiger, Jaden Smith is grabbing headlines in hype-sphere on his own.

Come July 24, the rapper/actor will be launching the ‘NB for Jaden Smith Vision Racer’ – a new silhouette he co-designed with the team at New Balance. Priced at $209, the shoes will be available via www.newbalance.com.sg and www.footlocker.sg.

The Vision Racer is a hybrid sneaker that combines two of Jaden Smith’s favourite New Balance silhouettes – 1700 and X-Racer.

The flashy chunky sneaker design is a hybrid of two New Balance silhouettes – the 1700 and X-Racer – that are personal favourites of the 22-year-old Smith. Swathed in a soft pretty sky blue hue called ‘Wavy Baby Blue’, more colourways are expected to drop in the year.

Among the flossy touches here are the reflective details on the tongue webbing, a rubberised tip for added durability as a nod to Smith’s energetic lifestyle of performing and skateboarding, and translucent ‘iced’ outsoles printed with the word ((VISION)) in the same sans serif font used on his SYRE and ERYS albums.

The Vision Racer is a hybrid sneaker that combines two of Jaden Smith’s favourite New Balance silhouettes – 1700 and X-Racer.

The best part of the design is the fact that Smith and New Balance made the shoes as vegan-friendly as possible, sticking to sustainable practices in the design and production process. Below, a ‘green’ checklist of what went into each pair:

1. The midsoles include five percent of EVA plastic regrind to reduce the amount of waste

2. The insert foam in the insoles is made of a mixture of castor bean oil, recycled foam, recycled rubber, and virgin PU. Meanwhile, the heel carrier is made from 98 per cent post-production leftover foam and rubber

3. The faux leather used is made from synthetic PU which is layered on a base made from 60 per cent recycled polyester

4. The shoe uppers comprise materials like recycled polyester and post-consumer plastic rather than oil

This article was first published in Female.