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What are my trainers
made of?
My trainers are made from many different materials. Most of them are
synthetic.
The different parts were put together in a Korean-owned factory in Indonesia.
The top parts of my trainers are made of leather. This leather came
from cows in Texas, USA. Their skins were sent to South Korea to be tanned
because labour is cheaper and environmental standards are lower there.
Tanning today is a 20-step process involving strong chemicals.
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TRAINERS: a sports shoe, also called a sneaker.
SYNTHETIC: made from products that people make
that do not occur in nature.
If you TAN the skin of an animal, you make that skin into
leather. / TANNING: the process of making leather.
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The rest of my shoe was made from petroleum-based chemicals.
The midsole was made from a special EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) foam.
It was made by mixing together several chemicals and baking them. This
process fills the foam with tiny air bubbles and makes the shoes feel very
soft to walk on.
The only part of my trainer that was made in the USA was a small amber-coloured
plastic bag filled with pressurised gas. This gas is a special secret ingredient.
The outer-soles were made of synthetic rubber. This is made, in part,
from Saudi petroleum.
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FOAM is composed of lots of very small bubbles.
PRESSURISED: having a higher pressure than normal |
