How this former Adidas executive is tackling the biggest problem in footwear with biodegradable sneakers

• Eric Liedtke cofounded Unless Collective and released a biodegradable sneaker late last year.
• Liedtke, a former Adidas executive, said the sneaker solves one of the hardest problems in footwear.

• An analyst called the sneaker a “game changer” given the industry’s addiction to plastic.

Athletic footwear is inherently tough on the environment. Most sneakers are made with pollutants, including plastics and toxic glues.

Eric Liedtke, a former Adidas brand president, who is perhaps best known for launching Kanye West’s partnership with the brand nearly a decade ago and before recent controversies, is on a mission to remove those pollutants from apparel.