Over the last decade, the sneaker industry has grown exponentially and sees no signs of slowing down. Over 24 billion pairs of shoes are produced annually with sneakers taking the bulk of that share. The industry has gained infamy for its exceptionally carbon-intensive production, accounting for 1.4% of global greenhouse emissions, which is astounding considering that air travel accounts for 2.5 percent of all emissions. With their Move to Zero initiative, Nike aims to overhaul their methodology and implement a more sustainable, environmentally-conscious design ethos: “making the world a better place while allowing athletes to perform at a higher level.”

Thus, the Cosmic Unity pack — the first performance shoe birthed out of this new initiative, made with at least 25% recycled materials. With the Cosmic Unity 2, the sequel adopts the same circular production with a deeper focus into material choices, waste avoidance, down to repurposing; albeit with a few improvements.

The Cosmic Unity 2’s whole upper is assumed to be made from recycled yarn much like its predecessor, from the body, the pull tabs, and even the laces. The midsoles will a feature a full-length Air Zoom strobel unit but instead of Nike Grind, this follow-up will utilise a Crater Foam exterior and ZoomX insoles. The specific engineering for the outsoles haven’t been disclosed by Nike but from what we can tell, the pair takes similar cues from sneakers like the Zoom Freak 3 and Air Zoom BB NXT, with complex, asymmetrical patterns providing performance traction.

There’re at least four colorways in the pack and is expected to debut sometime in August. The shoes will be available through brick and click so look out for them on Nike.com and select retailers.

If you’re interested in knowing more about other basketball performance sneakers in Nike’s catalogue, peep the Nike Air Zoom GT Cut 2.