So, since it's become more fashionable to make things recyclable and re-usable, why not mandate that makers of athletic footwear make them so that they can be repaired -at least swap in new soles. Else they get taxed with an enviro-impact fee.
The soles tend to be the first things to go, mesh uppers also wear out. But it would be neat if they were resolable with ease and not have to, erm, shoehorn a solution.
What if X is more reusable than Y but Y is the thing that is on the books. Now you have to lobby the government. Fun. Also, it's very hard for a bureaucrat or anyone else to make a judgement on what is going to be the most efficient what to organise the blue economy. Every day people invent new things, my understanding is that recycling and re-ellasticing bio-polymer is there way to go, but time will tell.
The soles tend to be the first things to go, mesh uppers also wear out. But it would be neat if they were resolable with ease and not have to, erm, shoehorn a solution.