The famous rapper decided to contribute to the fight for the ecology of the planet. And he started with shoes.
Light industry, including the manufacture of clothing and footwear, contributes significantly to environmental pollution. This is why the trend towards sustainable materials and processes is gaining momentum. And show business stars, as you know, love to be in trend.
American rap artist Kanye West presented sneakers from his Yeezy collection at the Fast Company Innovation Festival. The footwear is made of ethylene vinyl acetate (obtained in the process of oil refining) and foam from algal raw materials. Moreover, West's company will make algae for production on its own: a hydroponic farm for this purpose will be located at the new Yeezy headquarters in Cody (Wyoming).
The new shoe model was named Yeezy Foam Runners. It will hit the market early next year. The cost of one pair of sneakers will be $ 75. It is not yet known if all sneakers will contain algae-based materials or if this is a limited edition. But Yeezy says it will continue to work on sustainable footwear and apparel. “Environmental concerns are closely intertwined with what we do,” says Steven Smith, chief designer at the firm. "This is just the beginning of the journey into the future that Kanye has inspired us to do."
The prototype presented at the festival was a light khaki color. Yeezy's main focus now is finding environmentally friendly dyes. The Foam Runners look vaguely crocodile in design. This look might scare off many potential buyers, but the company clearly intends to attract new customers through its focus on eco-friendly technology.
The sustainability trend is gaining momentum in other areas as well. For example, British engineers are planning to build a bioelectric hybrid aircraft, and the first hydrogen-fueled train has begun to run in Germany.