Outerknown releases eco-friendly nylon pants for surf shorts

As the second generation Apex trunks from the brand, Outerknown's Apex Evolution Surf Trunks are the result of years of testing and designed to meet Slater's highly specific needs. In addition to three upgrades requested by the surfing GOAT himself, the updated trunks are said to be the first four-way stretch surf shorts made from Bureo's popular NetPlus material.

Bureo utilizes post-consumer recycled fishing nets to create new fabrics through 100% recycling and 100% traceability practices. It partners with companies like Patagonia, Yeti, and REI to prevent fishing net waste from entering the ocean, and uses these recycled nets to produce sustainable apparel and gear.

Although this approach is not new (Patagonia has supported and used Bureo's NetPlus material for over a decade), these swim trunks are among the first garments to utilize NetPlus with four-way stretch. Outerknown says the design took more than three years to perfect.

second generation

Kelly Slater and John Moore, the Creative Director at Outerknown, founded this surf-based company with a commitment to sustainability and high performance. Relying on the previous Apex swim brief design, Slater said he wanted three upgrades: better non-slip woven drawcords, an improved waistband that tightened without bunching, and reinforced ultrasonic-welded seams to reduce chafing. "Our hearts are always in the water, and we collaborated with our friends at Bureo, utilizing their unparalleled NetPlus material made from recycled fishing nets. This results in a truly responsible swim brief that adds a little something more than the first Apex, without sacrificing any performance quality."

Moore claimed that Kelly's request elevated this upgrade to "the highest performance swimwear ever."

To re-submerge the recycled fishing nets back into the water

The amount of plastic debris in oceans is estimated to have a capacity of 8.7 million tons per year. Plastic fishing nets are the most dangerous form of marine pollution from plastic debris—scientists estimate that each year, over 65,000 marine animals have been caught in them and have died or been severely injured.

Bureo directly collects discarded fishing nets from the fishing community to prevent them from becoming marine waste. Bureo says that lost or damaged fishing nets are the most harmful form of marine pollution.

Both Bureo and Outerknown claim that the Apex Evolution swim shorts are made from 90% recycled NetPlus nylon and 10% spandex. Outerknown collaborated closely with Bureo for over three years to ensure that the NetPlus material would perform as Slater envisioned.

Reusing NetPlus fishing nets to create sustainable products

Slater said that he tested three prototypes of the new Apex Evolution swim trunks in locations such as Hawaii, Fiji, and Tahiti. Each place offers different temperatures and waves of varying sizes.

The renowned ambassador also experimented with various changes, and over a period of 3 years, the Apex Evolution swim trunks evolved into the product we see today. Professional surfer Kevin Shulz claims the shorts require zero break-in. After two hours of surfing, he says he still had no rash.

Kevin Ahearn, co-founder and CTO of Bureo, said, "Developing a surf short material for Kelly has been a very rewarding experience for the entire Bureo team. We were able to closely collaborate with the Outerknown team to refine the fabric blend to ensure it is durable enough to handle Kelly's demanding surfing, yet still ultra-lightweight and with the right elasticity for long wear in the ocean; we are excited to now share it with the industry. For surfers and ocean advocates like us, having Kelly lead this development is a dream come true, and we can't wait to see the evolution of this partnership."

Regarding NetPlus material

NetPlus material is made from 100% recycled废弃渔网 collected from fishing communities around the world. Using recycled raw materials from abandoned fishing nets leverages existing waste, reduces the demand for virgin plastic, and prevents harmful plastic pollution from entering the world's oceans. Note: It seems there was a placeholder "废弃渔网" which I translated as "abandoned fishing nets." If you meant to include a different phrase, please clarify.

Old, worn-out, and damaged fishing nets are often discarded due to a lack of disposal solutions. A company based in California called Bureo is tackling this issue by providing a more responsible alternative to raw plastic, directly collaborating with fishing communities around the world. Starting in South America, Bureo's NetPlus program has expanded to nine countries. Through their plan, fishing nets are sorted, washed, and shredded before being recycled into NetPlus, a fully traceable post-consumer material. This project prevents hundreds of tons of discarded fishing nets from ending up in oceans or landfills annually and provides additional income for coastal communities.

Since 2014, Patagonia has supported Bureo in the development of NetPlus material through its venture capital fund, Tin Shed Ventures. Today, NetPlus recycled nylon and recycled HDPE are used in a range of products, from Patagonia’s caps and Down Sweater jackets to Costa sunglasses and Futures fins, and even Jenga games.

By developing NetPlus with Bureo, we've supported the collection and recycling of over 1,700 metric tons of discarded fishing nets, keeping this plastic out of the ocean. While the brim is relatively simple, our material developers had to work closely with our supply chain partners to find a way to chemically transform the plastic from fishing nets into high-quality yarn that could also be used in our apparel. And now we have it. This spring 2025, over 300 metric tons of fishing nets will be woven into Patagonia gear.