Kanye West's New Eco-Friendly Yeezy Runners Are Made from Algae
Kanye West is doing his part to reduce the carbon footprint of his Yeezy production and has found a way to make shoes that are partially made from pond-sourced algae. The "Jesus Is King" rapper revealed the Yeezy Foam Runners last week at the Fast Company Innovation Festival. Ye was joined by Yeezy head designer Steven Smith to introduce the eco-friendly footwear and speak on the future plans of the company.
"Eco-concerns are intersecting with what we do. This is just the beginning of the future that Kanye envisioned for us to start working on."
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Algae?
The Yeezy Foam Runners were manufactured in Atlanta from a combination of petroleum-based ethylene-vinyl acetate and foam produced from pond-sourced algae. Kanye said he plans to move the entire Yeezy headquarters to his recently purchased 4,000 sq ft ranch in Cody, Wyoming.
"Within the next two years our goal is to bring the manufacturing back to America. South America, North America. Bring it back stateside, and also to present jobs for people back here."
He also described a "seed to sole" eco-friendly process.
The clog-style runners bare a resemblance to Crocs, and Kanye said they're looking into environmentally friendly dyes. For now, they appear to be available in khaki and white.
The algae sneakers will be available in early 2020 and retail for $75.
Fan Reaction
While some fans are welcoming the eco-friendly kicks, others are suspect how the algae produced shoes will hold up in the real world.
"If you fighting in them bullshit ass algae fungus yeezy crocs make sure you don’t step in water heard they melt like cotton candy," one fan wrote on Twitter.
Another commented, "I really am gnna need those Yeezy algae joints."
A third fan commended Kanye on his environmentalism efforts. "I do miss the old Ye but seeing him do stuff like this makes me feel like it's alright. Let my man do good stuff."
Kanye's Wyoming Ranch
Back in September, Kanye purchased the sprawling Monster Lake Ranch in Cody, Wyoming. The place got its name because of the monster-sized trout that have been pulled out of the lake. The ranch had been on the market for $14 million and included two homes, eight cabins, a restaurant, event center, barns and horse corrals.
Kanye has spoken about how much he loves the peace and tranquility in Wyoming and produced much of his "Jesus Is King" album at the ranch. Most recently, he generated a ton of buzz around town when he performed a Sunday Service outdoor worship service that brought in thousands to The Buffalo Bill Center of the West.
Trust the Process
While at the sneaker event, Kanye spoke about the creative process he takes with Yeezy and how he's not bound by normal time constraints.
"It’s the balance between really being diligent about making the best product because we don’t put a timeline on things, but the idea of competition that’s out there helps present a timeline for people and it makes things better and forces us as creatives to bring things to market. It’s the entire experience, from the Steven Smith sketch to someone lining up for the Yeezys."
