Union Inspires x BALAO

Circular ball movement, on and off the pitch

BALAO is the story of Antoine Kecskes and Arthur Gossart, two young Belgian designers who had the brilliant idea of transforming used sports materials into responsible trainers. Their first creation was made directly from footballs, and the impact was impressive: each ball gave birth to five pairs of sneakers. Our 60 footballs will therefore be transformed into around 300 pairs of trainers, avoiding 420kg of CO₂ into the atmosphere in the process.

‘Our aim with BALAO is to show that you can make something new out of used objects and to prove to Belgians that you can create durable, good-quality objects that last over time,’ explains Antoine. It's an approach that perfectly combines style, performance and respect for the environment.

A winning partnership for the environment

This partnership illustrates our desire to score goals for the environment. As a club, we want to show that it is possible to combine sporting performance with a commitment to sustainability.

"Rather than throwing away our footballs at the end of the season, we prefer to give them a second life. That's exactly our vision of sustainability: to find local partners like BALAO who can turn our waste into opportunities," points out Mathilde Pagnier, who is in charge of the club's environmental responsibility.

"The idea appeals to us: that a piece of the Union should live on in each pair, that our championship title should also mean concrete action for tomorrow. Because at the Union, we play as a team, both on the pitch and in our choices for the future."

Visit balaoshoes.com for more information.