Airbag shoe nets design award for Toyoda Gosei, Asics

Kiyosu, Japan – A sneaker made with airbag fabric remnants in a joint project by Toyoda Gosei (TG) and Asics Corp., has won a Good Design Award 2024 by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion.

The prize-winning Gel-Sonoma 15-50 shoes, which were launched back in early 2023 (ERJ report), feature uppers made from airbag fabric that would otherwise be discarded, TG said a 16 Oct announcement.

This Good Design Award, it said, was given in recognition of the companies’ upcycling efforts across industry boundaries and the manufacturing approach of using materials in creative and innovative ways.

The judges also praised the manufacturing approach of “selecting material not only for ease-of-use and ease-of-procurement, but also for using material in a creative and original way.”