A leading outdoor brand like Salomon can launch a fully recyclable running shoe, yet still struggle to integrate recycled materials into even half of its broader product line. Salomon introduced its Index road running shoe in 2021, designed for complete recyclability, with materials repurposed into new ski boots. But despite such high-profile innovations, its broader product portfolio lags significantly in adopting recycled materials and achieving full circularity. The tension between high-profile innovations and lagging broader product portfolios reveals a slow, complex transition for outdoor brands, prioritizing headline-grabbing innovations over systemic change, which will delay widespread environmental benefits.
Salomon's Pioneering Recyclable Products
Salomon's commitment to circularity began with the Index road running shoe in 2021, designed for complete recyclability. Its materials can be repurposed into new products. The Brigade Index helmet followed in 2024, also engineered for recycling, according to Bettertrail. The launches of the Index road running shoe and Brigade Index helmet prove Salomon can achieve closed-loop design in specific categories, but the real challenge is scaling this across its entire range.
Incremental Gains in Material Sourcing
Beyond the fully recyclable Index line, Salomon is also integrating recycled and recyclable materials into other ski helmets and trail running shoes, according to Bettertrail. Salomon's integration of recycled and recyclable materials into other ski helmets and trail running shoes shows a gradual commitment to sustainable materials in core gear, even if not yet fully circular.
The Gap Between Ambition and Reality
The real challenge: fewer than half of Salomon products contain recycled materials. In 2024, recycled materials made up only 8% of soft goods, according to Bettertrail. The massive disparity between flagship innovations and overall portfolio sustainability, with fewer than half of Salomon products containing recycled materials and only 8% recycled content in soft goods in 2024, means Salomon's aspirational messaging currently outpaces its widespread material transformation.
