Other brands have made shoes from recycled materials before, like Adidas’ Parley collaboration, and On Running has announced the Cyclon, a subscription-based recyclable shoe for later in 2021 (though it will only ship when regional demand has been met), but the Index.01 is the first full-circle shoe to hit the market.
How it Performs
The Index.01 is a comfortable everyday trainer that blurs the line between performance and lifestyle. The clean, off-white aesthetic features Salomon’s new nitrogen-infused TPU Infiniride midsole, and a polyester upper. I found that Infiniride feels softer underfoot than most of Salomon’s other models. The polka-dot outsole provides decent traction on most days, though the middle of the shoe doesn’t have as much grip on wet surfaces as the stickier patches on the heel and toe. The polyester upper is very soft and comfortable, and it’s a roomier fit than Salomon is known for.