One of the major themes we noticed at Outdoor Retailer this summer was eco-awareness and the ‘greening’ of product lines. A bunch of companies have been introducing new lines of more environmentally-friendly products, or revamping their current line to include more sustainable materials and manufacturing processes. Among the new product releases was the Eco 70 trail running shoe from New Balance’s new line of eco products.

The Eco 70 can best be described as a fashion-conscious trail runner, providing the versatility to wear it straight from the trail to the street without a second thought. Plus, they come in fun colors like burnt orange, slate blue, and lime green.

But what really makes the Eco 70 stand out is its use of materials. Seventy-five percent of the materials used in the shoe are what New Balance refers to as ‘environmentally-preferred’ materials. The use of recycled polyester in the laces, tongue, and webbing, as well as the use of water-based adhesives to join the upper and sole of the shoe are just a few of the eco-conscious design features. In addition, the materials used to create the upper are cut in such a way to reduce waste–using a single cut to produce two pieces. Turn the shoe over to look at the sole, and you’ll notice little flecks in the rubber–those specks are rice husks used as filler in the rubber to reduce the amount needed (and thus reducing the amount of petroleum required to manufacture the shoe).

While all the eco-conscious features are great, these are at heart, a lightweight trail runner. And they perform just as they should. Weighing in at only 8.6 ounces, these are very lightweight shoes. Though only thin layers of mesh and canvas over most of the upper, the heel is structured and provides plenty of support, creating a flexible shoe that molds to your foot. An added benefit of the mesh upper is that they are super-breathable. Because the materials are so lightweight and flexible, I didn’t even need to break them in for them to feel comfortable.

Overall, the New Balance Eco 70 trail runners are great if you are looking for a versatile and eco-conscious shoe. They retail for $80.