208. Your Trail Running Shoes Are Shedding Microplastics with Dr. Tim Keyes

When we think about environmental impacts in the outdoors, we often focus on things we can see: litter left behind, eroded trails, overcrowded trailheads. But some of the most significant impacts are invisible, and they’re showing up in places many of us consider pristine.

In episode 208 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we’re talking about microplastics in remote wilderness areas and what new research is revealing about how they get there.

Joining me today is Dr. Tim Keyes.

Prior to joining Welch College of Business & Technology in 2019, Dr. Keyes was employed by General Electric as a Senior Risk Analytics Manager for 22 years, and for seven years prior to that he worked as a Senior Systems Engineer at Measurex/Honeywell. He now consults with banks and nonprofits through his company, Evergreen Business Analytics, LLC.

In addition to his professional work, Dr. Keyes leads adventure science expeditions with students to research air and water quality across the Northeast United States. He has summited all of the high peaks in the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains in New York, the Green Mountains in Vermont, and half, to date, of the high peaks in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

Professionally, Dr. Keyes has published more than ten professional papers and holds seventeen patents related to risk analytics. His most recent refereed research was published in 2023 in the peer-reviewed Elsevier journal Heliyon. In 2025, an adventure science expedition he led received global attention for its potential impact on environmental health and backcountry recreation.

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Learn More

Research: https://adkh2h.org/wp-content/uploads/Return-to-Lake-Tear-Expedition-Report-September-2025.pdf

Guardian Article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/13/microplastics-hiking-shoes-outdoor-gear

Rozalia Project: https://www.rozaliaproject.org

Footwear Collective: https://earthdna.org/home/the-footwear-collective/

Guppy Friend: https://www.patagonia.com/product/guppyfriend-microplastic-washing-bag/4260750820839.html