Ace'98 forêt

From clay court to city street: the ACE'98 innovation

Every year in France, 14 million tennis balls end up as waste. Indispensable on the court, they are a genuine disaster for the planet: their lifespan is negligible (barely 30 to 60 minutes of play for professionals!) due to the rapid loss of their bounce. As a result, 97% of them are immediately incinerated or buried in landfill, where they will take nearly 400 years to decompose, releasing microplastics and methane.

Faced with this ecological nonsense, we decided to transform this short-lived by-product into a lasting product. In collaboration with several tennis clubs in the Vizela region of Portugal, located just a few kilometres from our workshops, we set up a short-circuit collection scheme.

The collected used balls are meticulously ground into very fine particles. This new powder is then fused with recycled synthetic rubber, tinted and injected directly into the mould to form the thick sole and the logo of the ACE'98.

Giving a desirable second life to an object destined for destruction — that is the very essence of the ACE'98. Past shapes the futur.

Your feet carry you, take care of them.

At Zèta, comfort isn't a detail; it's a starting point. Where many brands focus solely on style, we strive to combine aesthetics, ethics , and well-being at every stage of our sneakers' development.

Our styles are designed to fit naturally around your feet: flexible, lightweight, and breathable, they feel like slippers—and that's what over 90% of our customers say in their reviews. So it's not just us saying it, it's you.

The secret? We use Strobel construction, a high-end manufacturing technique that provides exceptional flexibility to the shoe. The result: natural cushioning, no feeling of stiffness, and unparalleled freedom of movement, even after hours of walking.

No more blisters and heavy legs: our sneakers accompany you everywhere, in the city as well as in the forest, from the first to the last step of the day.

Sneakers that last, without compromising on comfort.

Our materials are carefully selected to ensure they are comfortable to wear and durable. Before being launched, all our prototypes are tested at the CTCP (Footwear Technology Center in Portugal) for flexibility and abrasion tests. They are then tested in real-life conditions by our team and members of the Zèta club.

Each pair is hand-assembled by our Portuguese artisans and then undergoes rigorous quality control to ensure your comfort meets our standards – and yours.

Clothing workshop - Vizela, Portugal

We are proud to collaborate with partners who share our values ​​and are as committed as we are, both environmentally and socially.

It was at the age of 20 that Albano assembled his first pair of shoes, in the back of a garage.

His first pairs of shoes will then be sold in a few shops in the city and at the end of mass on Sundays. The shoes pleased with their quality and were quickly sold throughout the North of Portugal.

For more than thirty years, nearly 150 artisans have now perpetuated Portuguese craftsmanship by paying particular attention to details and finishes. They joined the adventure alongside us in 2022 and we have built very strong relationships over the months.

Labels

	ISO 14001 | Environmental management systems
	ISO 9001 | quality management
	SMETA | Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit