Inter Miami Upcycles Jerseys Into New Uniforms To Spotlight Sport’s Hidden Waste

In partnership with startup fashion brand (re)boot, Inter Miami CF recently launched a campaign spotlighting the carbon impact of discarded sports apparel on the Earth, repurposing the club’s used soccer jerseys to create a series of uniforms.

Unfortunately, despite the heart-racing matches fans tune into every week, the professional sports industry contributes heavily to apparel waste, with soccer stars known to use an item as little as twice per game.

In fact, in Major League Soccer alone, players discard an estimated 13,000 pairs of boots and 5,000 soccer balls every season. Hence, Lionel Messi’s newfound soccer club has taken charge of the issue, hoping to reduce waste by turning old, used outfits into cutting-edge fashion.

To do this, the club and (re)boot worked together with streetwear designer Justin Mensinger to turn the used kits into uniforms for the team’s training academy, which debuted on models during a match against the Chicago Fire in March.

The duo will launch its first mascot next year, which will be made entirely out of repurposed materials. In the build-up to the reveal, Inter Miami and (re)boot worked with creative agency AKQA Bloom to come up with a short film that highlights the ongoing issue.

Jean Zamprogno and Fernando Pellizzaro, founders of AKQA Bloom, told LBB Online that by inspiring change through innovative ideas, the sportswear industry could be on its way to building a legacy of “environmental responsibility and conscious consumerism.”

[via The Drum and LBB Online, images via Inter Miami]