Outdoor Insight

July 2021 • Outdoor Insight • 13 outdoorinsightmag.com C EP has launched its first Outdoor Collection of socks. The line features Hiking Merino and Light Merino socks, available in tall, mid-cut and low-cut options. The socks are engineered to provide targeted compression to improve circulation and blood flow where it's needed the most. They also have breathable padding, moisture-wicking properties and joint stabilizing technology that helps hikers stay comfortable, according to the brand. "Any hiker will tell you that socks are one of the most important yet sometimes overlooked pieces of equipment," said Jared Finney, head of sales, CEP Compression. "We developed our Outdoor Collection to push the limits of innovation knowing the importance of footwear, combining years of research and development in graduated compression with the latest technology advancements to ensure that hikers don't have to settle when they step out into the great outdoors." l I n an effort to move the ski industry closer to a circular economy, the Italian brand Tecnica has launched a recycling pilot program to help keep used ski boots out of landfills or burnt in waste-to-energy plants. The project, called Recycle Your Boots, will start this Fall in the Alps region. "The idea is pretty simple," explained Maurizio Priano, marketing and brand manager Blizzard Tecnica. "We will make it possible for skiers to return their old ski boots of any brand to part- ner retailers, and then recycle them through a transparent and sustainable process." The old ski boots will be collected by retailers and transported in small batches to reduce emis- sions. The Italian company Fecam will remove the liners and dismantle each boot to separate the plastic and metal components. All parts will then be transported to the nearby Laprima Plastics plant and transformed into second- ary raw materials, such as plastic granules and recovered alumi¬num, ready to be recast and reused in industrial production. In addition, the liners will be shredded to make new padding. Beginning in autumn 2021, Recycle Your Boots will commence at select retailers across the Alps, in Italy, France, Switzerland, Austria and Germany. The plan is for Sweden, Norway and Spain to hopefully join the program soon after. The hope is to extend the project to North America if and when the right partners and processes can be put in place. l TECNICA: SIMPLE RETURNS C onsumers want to know what natural materials are going into their shoes and how it impacts the greater global well-being. Sanuk's recently launched edition of its Grateful Dead capsule collec- tion features tie-dye colorways and the band's iconic lightning bolt logo. Using natural materials like hemp, jute and responsibly-sourced leather saved millions of liters of water in the manufacturing process. "Like the Dead, we love planet earth and we know that every material choice has an impact," commented Katie Pruitt, product director at Sanuk. Every material, in each shoe, must be suitable for its intended use. "Hemp and jute have great durability properties," said Pruitt. Bloom foam, which delivers "cushion, high rebound bounce and sup- port" is made with repurposed algae to lower carbon emissions and clean fresh water sources. The collection's soft top foam midsoles are made with 20 percent Bloom foam. l SANUK: NATURE CALLS CEP: GOING HIKING

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