Kanye West’s sustainable Yeezy concept uses algae foam
The next sneaker in Kanye West’s Yeezy line could be made from algae foam. West offered a glimpse of the shoe at Fast Company‘s Innovation Festival today. He also shared that Yeezy is planning to move its headquarters to a 4,000-acre ranch in Wyoming, where it will grow its own algae in a hydroponic farm.
Creating more sustainable sneakers is great, but these might have a hard time winning people over. The pair West showed today look an awful lot like the original Crocs — they’re modeled after the Yeezy Foam Runner. West says the company is experimenting with alternatives to harmful dyes, but in the meantime, the sneakers are painfully khaki.
It’s not entirely surprising that Yeezy is developing sustainable footwear. It is an Adidas brand, after all, and Adidas has been experimenting with eco-friendly designs for years. In 2016, it made a sneaker out of ocean plastic. Its Futurecraft Loop is a running shoe that’s fully recyclable, and it has pledged to use only recycled plastics by 2024.
West didn’t say when the algae-derived Yeezy kicks will be available or how long it will take to get the hydroponic farm up and running.
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