Icebreaker, the New Zealand-based environmentally-driven outdoor apparel brand whose products are made from pure merino, is giving New York City’s eco runners a treat this week and next. Take your synthetic t-shirt into Paragon Sports flagship store on 18th and Broadway and a live seamstress sitting in the store window will turn it into a reusable running shoe bag for free. Marathoners and aspiring marathoners will also receive 26.2% off their Icebreaker GT purchase and a free pair of Icebreaker socks (from October 5th to 12th).

Click the image on the right to watch Icebreaker's seamstress at work on YouTube.   According to Icebreaker, synthetic tops make great plastic bags, but aren’t great to run in. They stink after a run, feel unnatural, and are made from oil, the company says.

According to Icebreaker, its merino apparel is the natural alternative to synthetics as it feels better, doesn’t hold odour, is better for the environment and is biodegradable. Because you can run in Icebreaker apparel for weeks without washing it, energy costs are reduced and fewer detergents are put into the environment, Icebreaker adds.   “Who would have thought that stinky synthetic t-shirts would make such perfect reusable bags?” says Molly King, communications manager of Icebreaker. "Similarly, many people don’t realize how perfect Icebreaker merino wool is in all types of weather. We hope New Yorkers come in to ‘bag synthetics’ and try on a piece of Icebreaker GT, our natural performance line. They’ll feel for themselves why merino wool is a magic all-seasonal fibre,“says Molly.   Launched in 1994, Icebreaker says it was the first company in the world to develop a merino fibre layering system for the outdoors and claims it was also the first outdoor apparel company in the world to source merino directly from growers, a system it began in 1997. There are now 10 distinct pure merino fabrics in the Icebreaker system, covering underwear, mid layer, and outerwear. Icebreaker is sold in more than 2,000 stores in 24 countries throughout Europe, Asia, Australasia and North America.

Based in Wellington, New Zealand, Icebreaker uses only pure merino hand-picked from 120 high country stations in the country's Southern Alps to create edgy outdoor clothing that combines nature's work with human technology and design. The company is committed to sustainability, ethical manufacturing and animal welfare. In 2008 the company launched “Icebreaker Baacode,” a pioneering supply chain transparency and traceability program. Each Icebreaker includes a unique Baacode, which enables customers to trace the garment online from rearing the sheep through to each stage of the supply chain process.