New Balance 070 Eco-Preferred Sneakers

070 Eco-Preferred Sneakers from New Balance (photo via New Balance website)

I'm not a huge sneaker-wearer, but I dig the New Balance 070 Eco-Preferred shoes.

Maybe it's because "070" is a numerical anagram for "007"...

Or maybe because 070 is one of the eco-friendliest sneaker options this side of Proxima Centauri.

The laces, webbing, rand, quarter, tongue and saddle apparently incorporate recycled polyester.

Meanwhile, New Balance says it has reduced the amount of solvents used in other synthetic parts of the shoe.

New Balance even used rice husks as a filler to reduce the amount of rubber in the outsole of the 070 Eco-Preferred shoes. You have to admire New Balance its smart use of a material that would otherwise be considered a waste byproduct of rice cultivation. And in a sort of karmic bonus, an article on Sierra Trading Post's blog suggests that rice husks may actually give a shoe better grip and traction on wet surfaces.

Water-based adhesives are used to join the upper and the sole unit, and New Balance says no paper stuffing or paper wrapping are used in packaging the 070. I can vouch for the fact that the pair of 070 shoes New Balance sent me for testing and inspection had no paper wrapping, though they did contain some sort of cardboard-like insert (presumably recycled and certainly recyclable) to keep the shoe from getting totally squashed or deformed in transit. The outer shoebox naturally is also recycled and recyclable.

070 Eco-Preferred shoes from New Balance (photo via New Balance website)

So the 070 shoes are Green, but are they comfy?

In two words - You betcha.

The uppers are incredibly light and breathable, while the sole is still solid, supportive and grippy.

I can see why other eco-bloggers (Brian Clark Howard at The Daily Green, Shea Gunther at Mother Nature Network) have also praised the 070 shoes.

Note that these 070 shoes should under no circumstances be confused with That 70's Show, since one is a pair of eco-friendly sneakers and the other is a sitcom starring Twitterer Ashton Kutcher.

I'd call the New Balance 070's design 'funky', but New Balance terms it 'efficient' - saying all the parts are designed to fit together like a puzzle and minimize waste.

The only piece of this puzzle that I'm missing -- How come the 070 shoes are made in China but still carry an $80 price tag? I don't mind paying $80 for a pair of sneakers - especially eco-friendly ones - but I'd really rather not pay $80 if I suspect the worker in question is getting paid a pittance.

But seriously, I know that Boston-based New Balance makes some of its styles in the USA. In fact, it's probably the only major athletic shoe manufacturer that hasn't totally abandoned its US factories. So if US workers are good enough to make ordinary sneakers, why not give them a chance to make eco-friendly sneakers?

Where to Buy:

Purchase online from New Balance - $79.99 for both men's and women's 070 shoes.

FYI, New Balance offers both free shipping (on orders over $50) and free returns through its Web Express online store.

Alternatively, purchase offline through a local New Balance retailer.