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Kanye West Unveils Yeezy Foam Runners, Partially Made from Pond-Sourced Algae

Kanye West Algae Sneakers
Kanye West at Fashion Group International’s Night of Stars Gala on October 24, 2019 in New York City. Gregory Pace/Shutterstock

Now that Kanye West’s Jesus Is King album officially dropped, the 42-year-old rapper’s turned his attention to his next item of business: the Adidas Yeezy Foam Runner. Launching next year, the slip-on clog is partially made from pond-sourced algae.

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West introduced the new shoe at Fast Company’s Innovation Festival with Steven Smith, lead designer of Yeezy. The two took to the stage on Thursday, November 7, with a version of the shoe in a khaki-brown color. According to Smith, the kicks are a step towards the eco-friendly mission West sought out to achieve from the start.

The new Yeezys are made from a foam created from algae, which will be blended with petroleum-based ethylene-vinyl acetate. “This is just the beginning of the future,” said Smith, in reference to the success of using the renewable resource to manufacture the shoe.

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As part of the conversation, West explained how the brand is working diligently to innovate and focus more on sustainability. “Yeezy is going into innovation,” said the dad of four. “We moved the headquarters to Cody, Wyoming and we have 4,000 acre ranch and a couple other properties out there.”

He continued, “We’re going to be farming, going seed-to-sow, have our own cotton hydro-pod, hemp farm — so we can see every element and how we can have less impact on the dyes because our color is a big signature of the brand, but also dyeing is one of the main things that’s impacting the planet in the fashion industry.”

The singer teased the Yeezy Foam Runner in September. His daughter, North, was photographed wearing prototypes of the shoes, paired with sky-blue sweatpants and a tie-dye T-shirt.

But many fans pointed out that the shoe’s silhouette is similar to that of the Croc, which brought in mixed reactions. One user disapprovingly wrote, “This is literally a Yeezy croc.” Another fan who was into the shoe wrote, “Everyone sees an ugly shoe but all I see are luxury crocs and I’m here for it.”

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According to the official Yeezy Twitter account, the kicks will be available in early 2020 for $75.

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