How a Former Adidas Exec Has Raised the Bar on Sustainability Within Streetwear and Sneakers

In his 26 years at Adidas, Eric Liedtke was instrumental in helping the sneaker giant become greener. But the industry veteran knew his stringent sustainability goals weren’t possible working for a giant, so in 2019 he departed and two years later launched the brand Unless Collective. “To be scalable and to disrupt, I needed to step outside the machine and do it from the bottom up,” Liedtke told FN. “We want to be the first 100% regenerative fashion brand, we want to pilot the whole thing, so we can then offer it as a service to the industry.” Unless, a label with a streetwear lean, has already made significant strides in sustainable fashion after just two years. Its apparel, which debuted in November 2021, is made with only biodegradable, plant-based materials, to eliminate plastic waste. And the company created a takeback program that repairs, recycles or composts used products. To boost awareness and foster collaboration, it is lining up a string of compelling partnerships. Its first was with Mammut for a hoodie and T-shirt released on World Mountain Day last December. “The collab was about protecting the places they play. It was cool and it exploded,” Liedtke said. “This is our model, to

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