You don’t hear the word “revolutionary” very often when it comes to golf shoes, do you? Regardless of what you think about revolutions, the new Adidas 360 XT Parley shoes are playing in their own league (pun intended), as they’re built from plastic recycled from the ocean. As you may already know, the world’s oceans are suffering from plastic pollution, mostly from China and India by the way (something like 90% of plastic pollution comes from those 2 countries), hence Adidas decided to play the “green card”, save the planet and make a few bucks in the process. And who could blame them, right? From both a free-market and “save the planet” perspective, the new Adidas 360 XT Parley golf shoes are a great idea, regardless of what you think about…well, anything. It’s a “win-win” kind of a deal, winning the hearts and minds of Green Peace and golf-lovers with one shot. Or killing them both with one stone, whatever.

Moving along with our story, the Adidas 360 XT Parley were created specifically for the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (who would’ve thought, right?), a magnificent place which boasts beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean, as well as an epic pounding surf; and the best thing is that the scenery can be admired alongside the golf course’s epic 8th and 18th holes, making Pebble Beach one of the most beautiful golf courses in the world. However, modern civilization took its toll here, as players and visitors alike were pretty shocked to discover how man-made pollution (including large amounts of plastic bottles and all that) were endangering marine life as well as the scenic view, due to garbage washing up nearby the beaches.

Now, there are many companies trying to cleaning up the ocean and recycle and all that palaver, but Adidas took this concept one step further, to the next level to use marketing lingo, and decided to create a new golf shoe made from upcycled (a fancy term for recycled) plastic which has been collected from coastal communities and beaches. That’s a very clever idea, I must give them that; as far as moral posturing goes, this is one of the best gimmicks ever, especially considering the fact that the “supreme-eco” golf shoes are retailing for no less than $200. But disregard the price, as you’ll be saving the planet in the process, hence you’ll feel awesome about yourself even when spending $200 on plastic golf shoes. We’re only joking, but the truth is that the upper of the Tour 360 XT Parley golf shoe is made of plastic, hence the price-tag of these babies is kind of steep, to say the least. However, the philosophy which lead to the creation of the Tour 360 XT Parley is to raise awareness with regard to plastic pollution, not just to sell a gazillion pair of golf shoes, right?

Here’s Adidas global footwear director Masun Denison on the Tour 360 XT Parley:

“Our company is extremely focused on sustainability, and we wanted to incorporate that mission into our sport. This is the first golf shoe we’ve ever made that incorporates upcycled materials, and this is just the beginning. In a sport that’s played outdoors and where sustainability is often under the microscope, we feel this is a massive step forward for the game.”

Now you see that “upcycled” is the new “recycled”, directly from the horses’ mouth. Let’s get a little bit technical and help you understand why you should cough up $200 bucks on plastic golf shoes: the Tour 360 XT Parley from Adidas is pretty similar to the regular Tour 360 XT, i.e. it’s waterproof and comes with 8 replaceable spikes, together with the company’s excellent X-Traction sole design. The Parley edition is not only crafted to enlarge the fan-base of Green Peace, but also to deliver more stability on wet grass and throughout the swing, i.e. these golf shoes really mean business, and they’re more than a marketing gimmick. Adidas is known worldwide for their cutting edge technologies and design, and we bet you’ll not be disappointed (performance wise) by the Tour 360 XT Parley, i.e. the company made zero compromises in regard to performance, stability, traction and safety in their latest golf shoe. And on top of that, they are really protecting the oceans; what’s not to love?

For the first time in a “recycled plastic golf shoe”, Adidas used forging technology in order to stiffen the plastic-made upper material and to reduce weight. On top of that, you’ll totally enjoy the sock like opening in the Tour 360 XT Parley, which delivers a comfortable and snug fit, complemented by the company’s iconic Boost cushioning in the sole. Finally, you must learn that the new Tour 360 XT Parley golf shoes are available at select retailers and also at adidas.com. Be aware that we’re talking about a special edition (as in limited), so go get yours while it lasts. Obviously, if you’re kosher with the $200 price tag, you can buy a pair at Pebble Beach during the U.S. Open, provided you’re lucky enough to have a ticket.