At some point in the last year, a pair of running shoes wore out on someone. The foam compressed past recovery. The outsole rubber thinned at the ball of the foot. The upper frayed at the toe box. They went into a bin, and depending on how the waste stream worked, they either went to landfill, to an incinerator, or into Nike’s collection programme, where they became raw material for Nike Grind.

As Nike Grind describes it: In 1992, Nike Grind started as a grassroots initiative to recycle old shoes and has grown to become a large-scale global solution to transform manufacturing scrap and end-of-life shoes, into versatile, high-performance materials. Along with use in our own shoes and Nike Strength weights, our rubber, foam, leather, plastics and textiles get new life with the help of licensees in everything from cutting-edge consumer products to playgrounds and sports surfaces.

That material chain connects to GallantBounce, Gallant Sports‘ proprietary turf infill. GallantBounce is made with at least 20% Nike Grind rubber from end-of-life shoes. Gallant Sports is an authorized licensee of products containing Nike Grind, producing GallantBounce domestically for the Indian sports infrastructure market.

It’s a story worth telling accurately. And accurately means following what the material actually is, what it claims, and what it doesn’t.

What Nike Grind actually is

Nike Grind is a material programme, not a single product. Nike processes end-of-life athletic footwear and manufacturing scrap into granulated rubber, foam, and fibre used in sports surfaces, playground flooring, athletic tracks, and other applications.

The rubber component of Nike Grind, which GallantBounce uses for turf infill, comes from athletic shoe outsoles and manufacturing scrap. Shoe outsole rubber is formulated for human contact applications: it needs to be flexible, durable, and safe in direct contact with skin. That is a different formulation background from vehicle tyre rubber, which is the raw material for the SBR crumb that dominates the traditional turf infill market.

Nike processes collected footwear by separating it into component materials. The rubber outsoles, foam midsoles, and fabric uppers are processed independently. The rubber is cleaned, shredded, and granulated to specific particle sizes. For turf infill, the rubber granules need to fall within a range, typically 0.5mm to 2mm, that is designed to provide the right combination of cushioning, drainage, and pile support when used in an artificial grass system.

GallantBounce made with Nike Grind rubber: the product in India

Gallant Sports is an authorized licensee of products containing Nike Grind. GallantBounce is produced domestically using Nike Grind rubber, manufactured to specification for the Indian sports surface market.

The correct way to describe the product, per Nike Grind’s required communication guidelines, is: GallantBounce made with at least 20% Nike Grind rubber from end-of-life shoes.

The domestic manufacturing matters on a practical level. Imported premium infill products carry significant cost premiums in India due to freight, handling, and import duties. Manufacturing in India means GallantBounce is available at a cost point that makes it viable for Indian school, government, and institutional projects rather than only for high-budget facilities.

The licensed relationship with Nike for the Nike Grind material programme means GallantBounce production adheres to Nike Grind material quality and traceability standards. Every batch of GallantBounce is produced with documentation that connects the infill material to the Nike Grind supply chain.

Why the source material is different from traditional SBR

The distinction between GallantBounce made with Nike Grind rubber and traditional SBR crumb infill is primarily about material provenance.

SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber) crumb comes from shredded end-of-life vehicle tyres. Vehicle tyres are formulated for road contact, heat resistance, and load-bearing performance under entirely different conditions than athletic use. The chemical composition of tyre rubber includes processing compounds that are not present in athletic footwear rubber.

Nike Grind rubber comes from athletic footwear. The source material was formulated for human contact applications. This is the distinction that matters to institutions thinking carefully about what sits under their artificial turf surface.

On safety claims: the Nike Grind guidelines are clear that safety claims must be third-party verified and specific to the geography in which they apply. We are not making a direct safety comparison here. What can be said accurately is that the source material is different, the formulation background is different, and GallantBounce surfaces are designed to provide a different material profile from SBR crumb. Institutions that want verified safety data for their specific geography should request third-party testing documentation relevant to their location.

How GallantBounce functions as turf infill

GallantBounce functions as turf infill the same way SBR crumb does: filling the space between artificial grass fibres, providing ballast that holds the pile upright, and creating the cushioning layer that determines how the surface feels underfoot and how it is designed to absorb impact.

For FIFA Quality certification purposes, the performance of the complete turf system, including infill, is evaluated through standardised testing. These tests measure system performance rather than material composition. A properly installed artificial turf with GallantBounce infill at the correct depth and density is designed to meet FIFA Quality certification requirements, though actual certification is determined by independent accredited laboratory testing of the installed system.

On heat behaviour: surfaces made with GallantBounce are designed to perform across the temperature range typical of Indian outdoor conditions. Any specific performance data relevant to heat behaviour should be requested from Gallant Sports with reference to third-party testing for your specific geography.

The material diversion story

Nike Grind has diverted 148 million pounds of material from landfills globally as of Nike Grind’s October 2024 data. That figure comes from Nike Grind’s own reporting and represents the material collected and processed through the programme across its history since 1992.

For organisations with material diversion criteria in their procurement or reporting frameworks, GallantBounce made with at least 20% Nike Grind rubber from end-of-life shoes connects to a material programme with a documented waste diversion record. The percentage of Nike Grind rubber used is verifiable through batch documentation.

What this means in practice for a specific project: institutions specifying GallantBounce can request the batch documentation that identifies the Nike Grind rubber content percentage and material source for their installation. This is the documentation that supports material claims in procurement reports, CSR reports, or institutional communications.

What the licensing relationship means for buyers

When a sports infrastructure project specifies GallantBounce made with Nike Grind rubber, the material claim is backed by a licensed relationship between Gallant Sports and Nike. Gallant Sports is an authorized licensee of products containing Nike Grind, not a company making unsubstantiated claims about the material it uses.

This matters because the Indian sports infrastructure market has a significant amount of loosely worded material claims. “Made with recycled rubber” on a product spec sheet could mean almost anything. GallantBounce made with at least 20% Nike Grind rubber from end-of-life shoes is a specific, verifiable claim connected to a licensed programme with traceability documentation.

For procurement committees, CSR programme managers, and institutional administrators who need to defend material choices to stakeholders, that specificity is the difference between a claim you can substantiate and one you can’t.

Where GallantBounce has been used

GallantBounce made with Nike Grind rubber has been installed at Zyng Sports Arena in Noida, a multi-sport facility serving recreational and training users. The application is artificial turf infill, functioning within the installed turf system as the cushioning and pile-support layer.

GallantBounce is available for football turf, hockey turf, and multi-sport synthetic surface applications across India. Any application that uses rubber granule infill in an artificial grass system is a potential GallantBounce application.

Zero-infill turf: the other option worth knowing about

It is worth acknowledging the alternative. Zero-infill turf technology, where the synthetic grass pile is engineered to self-support without rubber or sand infill, eliminates the infill category entirely.

Zero-infill systems mean no rubber granule of any kind: no SBR, no Nike Grind rubber, nothing to maintain or redistribute through brushing. The maintenance load is reduced. The concerns associated with any rubber granule migration are not present.

Zero-infill turf costs more per square metre than infill-required turf because the fibre engineering that makes self-support possible requires more material. For institutions where eliminating infill entirely is the clearest answer to stakeholder questions, zero-infill is worth evaluating alongside GallantBounce.

Gallant Sports offers both. The right choice depends on budget, primary user profile, and what best serves the institution’s operational and communication requirements. Neither is universally correct for every project.

What this product does not claim

Because the material story is specific, it’s worth being equally specific about what GallantBounce made with Nike Grind rubber does not claim.

Nike Grind rubber infill is not a natural material. It is processed industrial rubber from post-consumer athletic footwear and manufacturing scrap, granulated for sports surface application. It is a different material from SBR crumb because the source material is different, but it is not an organic or chemical-free product.

GallantBounce does not make the turf system more recyclable at end of life. The challenge of recycling an artificial turf system at end of life applies regardless of infill type. Nike Grind contributes to material diversion at the input stage. It does not resolve the end-of-life recyclability question for artificial turf systems.

And the licensed status of GallantBounce as a product made with Nike Grind rubber is a supply chain and material traceability credential. It is not a sports surface performance certification. Performance certification for the installed turf system, FIFA Quality, FIH, or otherwise, is a separate process determined by independent accredited laboratory testing.

Being clear about these limits is part of presenting the material accurately to institutional buyers, CSR committees, and parent communities who are asking real questions and deserve specific answers.

Actionable takeaways for facility developers and CSR programme managers

If you are specifying a new artificial turf project and have material provenance criteria in your brief, ask your contractor specifically what infill they are proposing and what the material source is. The specific answer for GallantBounce is: made with at least 20% Nike Grind rubber from end-of-life shoes. That is the verifiable claim.

For CSR programme managers who need to report on material choices, request batch documentation from Gallant Sports that specifies the Nike Grind rubber content percentage for your installation. This is the documentation that supports material claims in reporting, rather than general product descriptions.

For institutions communicating material choices to parent communities or school boards, the accurate description is: the turf infill is GallantBounce, made with at least 20% Nike Grind rubber from end-of-life athletic shoes, produced in India by Gallant Sports, an authorized licensee of products containing Nike Grind. That sentence is specific, verifiable, and does not overstate what the material is or does.

Evaluate the cost increment in total project context. GallantBounce made with Nike Grind rubber costs more than SBR crumb, typically 15 to 30 percent more on the infill component. For a full-size football pitch where total project cost is ₹1.5 to ₹2.5 crore, the infill cost difference represents approximately 1 to 2 percent of the overall project budget.

For safety claims relevant to your geography: request third-party verified testing data specific to the Indian context from Gallant Sports rather than relying on general material descriptions. Safety and performance claims must be third-party verified and specific to the geography in which they apply.

Frequently asked questions

1. What is GallantBounce made with Nike Grind rubber?

Answer: GallantBounce is Gallant Sports’ proprietary artificial turf infill, made with at least 20% Nike Grind rubber from end-of-life shoes. Gallant Sports is an authorized licensee of products containing Nike Grind and produces GallantBounce in India for the domestic sports infrastructure market. The product is used as rubber granule infill in artificial football turf, hockey turf, and multi-sport surface systems.

2. How is GallantBounce different from SBR crumb infill?

Answer: The primary difference is material provenance. GallantBounce is made with Nike Grind rubber sourced from end-of-life athletic footwear. SBR crumb comes from shredded end-of-life vehicle tyres. The source materials have different formulation backgrounds because athletic footwear rubber is formulated for human contact applications while vehicle tyre rubber is formulated for road performance. Any specific safety or performance claims relevant to your geography should be supported by third-party verified testing data.

3. Does GallantBounce affect FIFA certification for artificial turf?

Answer: FIFA Quality certification evaluates the performance of the complete installed turf system through independent accredited laboratory testing. Infill material type does not determine certification; the system’s measured performance characteristics do. GallantBounce infill is designed to be used within turf systems that meet FIFA Quality testing requirements, but certification is determined by the accredited test results of the specific installed system.

4. How much Nike Grind rubber is in each batch of GallantBounce?

Answer: GallantBounce contains at least 20% Nike Grind rubber from end-of-life shoes per production batch. Batch documentation specifying the Nike Grind rubber content is available for projects where material provenance documentation is required for procurement or reporting purposes. Contact Gallant Sports for batch-specific documentation.

5. How much more does GallantBounce cost compared to SBR crumb?

Answer: GallantBounce made with Nike Grind rubber typically costs 15 to 30 percent more than SBR rubber crumb on the infill component of a turf project. For a full-size football pitch, this is approximately ₹1.5 to ₹4 lakh in additional cost depending on pitch size and infill depth specification. As a proportion of total project cost for a complete FIFA-standard installation, this is typically 1 to 2 percent of the overall budget.

6. How has Nike Grind material been used globally?

Answer: Nike Grind has diverted 148 million pounds of material from landfills globally as of Nike Grind’s October 2024 data, across applications including sports surfaces, playgrounds, and consumer products. The programme has been operating since 1992, growing from a grassroots shoe recycling initiative into a global material programme working with licensed manufacturers across multiple product categories.

7. Can GallantBounce be used in hockey turf as well as football turf?

Answer: Yes. Rubber granule infill is used in sand-based hockey turf systems as well as football turf. GallantBounce can be specified for hockey turf applications. The infill depth and density specification for hockey turf differs from football turf because the sport has different surface performance requirements, so the infill specification should be designed alongside the turf product specification.