Nike has been doing the 'turning leftover shoes into a rubbery material' thing for a little while. In Portland there are a bunch of public basketball courts that are made from the stuff donated by Nike. And you can drop your old shoes off at Niketown stores. Not sure how it is in other places. Obviously Nike has a HUGE presence here in Portland
Good for Nike for trying to recycle old sneakers. Especially when it likely isn't a profitable process (not factoring in the good PR). Not that it will make a dent in all the waste are burying the planet in, but still.
Not sure if this grip will preform any different.
Either way, I don't blame Jessup for trying something. Other than graphic grip (which everyone is doing, including most board brands now), what other innovations are there to be had with grip?