The Future is FOAM | Behind The HYPE: EVA

EVA foam has been injected into sportswear products for the past century. It dates back to the days when Bill Bowerman engineered the first Nike Waffle sneaker in 1974 and has been utilized in other items such as fishing rods, boxing gloves and ski boots. Until recently, the tech material was solely viewed as a means of support as opposed to the primary aesthetic component.
EVA has become way more omnipresent as various brands like Balenciaga and YEEZY have revolutionized the industry with new culture-shifting products. The luxury fashion house joined forces with Crocs to create a divisive platform and Kanye West, Steven Smith and adidas shook things up when they introduced the sought-after YEEZY FOAM RNNR in 2020. In addition, Crocs has tripled down on its initiatives by aligning with various high-profile celebrities and streetwear brands and designers for special projects. Team-ups with the likes of Justin Bieber, Post Malone and Bad Bunny as well as Salehe Bembury, BEAMS, Palace and others have resulted in an overwhelming demand for the imprint’s products.
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[@homespecialist9795]

Cheap to make ... ideal for designers to upsell its the perfect business

[@Ray03595]

the normal consumer can get crocs for $35 tho. It's just people who are really into fashion that will splash money for some foam. If that makes them happy more power to them.

[@SeanLumly]

@@Ray03595 $35 for foam that likely cost $0.10 in material costs (no exaggeration), and TRIVIAL manufacturing. Even crocs (which have near-perfect knock-offs available at dollar stores) are making a KILLING in premium.

[@footwearology]

For a reputable source like Hypebeast this is a deeply disappointing, incorrect and biased piece of "reporting". EVA is indeed lightweight and comfortable, but it is also one of the largest sustainability issues that the footwear industry has created and you fail to mention this even once! In fact, you state that these mono material shoes are easier to recycle. The fact that they are made from one material certainly helps at end of life, however, EVA is a thermoset plastic, which means we cannot effectively recycle it at all! You can only grind it down and mix it with a virgin binder, which is a huge downgrade. These recycled materials are used for playgrounds, for instance, even though we would prefer these petrochemicals to not leak into the soil. EVA also creates a huge issue with micro plastic waste. Like Mr Smith says: these shoes wear down a lot! So please do not call them "durable'. Yes, as such EVA lasts thousands of years, because it does not biodegrade at all. That is not a good thing though, that is pollution. The main reason for brands like Yeezy to make these types of shoes is the fact that EVA is cheap and can be moulded, requiring little to no human labour. As such that makes them suitable for local manufacturing, but still does not solve your sustainability issues. You have biobased versions of EVA now, such as Bloom Foam and Sweet Foam, but just like regular EVA these do not biodegrade and cannot be remelted. There are some promising developments such as Ortholite's Cirql, but that is basically a different kind of foam. From an aesthetic perspective I can appreciate many of the designs you showed, but it would have been correct to provide a more realistic and nuanced view on the subject.

[@9regorio]

Thank you for bringing attention to it sadly they only care about sustainability when it can increase sales

[@ifnottoday]

Great comment

[@TheGuywhoyoudontknow]

Yeezy uses algae foam

[@footwearology]

@@TheGuywhoyoudontknow yes that is Bloom Foam. That is EVA with about 15% algae content. Better than regular EVA, but still not biodegradable or recyclable.

[@kyleishimoto]

W

[@FCD844]

So here is the real story for you all. Crocs - The mould was developed by two Italian Brothers, they made a shoe that restraunt workers in kitchens could wear which was anti-slip and breathable. One day an American restraunt owner is on holiday in Italy, see's the kitchen staff wearing the shoes. Asks "what are those"? (sorry for the pun), the workers tell him where he can get them from, he finds the two brothers, and takes some pairs back to the US for his guys to try out, they work. So he buys a container of them, and sells out. He then goes onto buy the mould and the patent for it at the time, and calls it crocs. The brothers, then go onto create the brand XL soles, which make the best blown eva soles in the market today. Thats the industry story I know after working in footwear for the past 25 years.

[@rakfav____]

Isnt that kind of the same origin like Nike?

[@FCD844]

@@rakfav____ sort of yeah, behind all these massive brands like crocs and nike etc, there are scammers,crooks and blaggers....."shoe dogs" all wrapped up nicely behind billion dollar marketing budgets. Just don't believe the hype I guess...

[@bigpoppa4264]

@@FCD844nike didn’t steal shit

[@curlyhairdudeify]

Pretty sure the design comes from Holland, and their wooden clogs.

[@gilangfajar2841]

Remember people calling ye crazy for ugly foam runners and slide, now everyone doing his thing, his impact on the industry is mad.

[@inevespace]

Now we just laugh on everybody who wearing this ugliness.

[@degree33]

Maxing out margin

[@isthisjish3794]

Whoever buys that crocs with heels should be put on a watchlist

[@moneymakinmitch8130]

A rack for pleasures crocs is crazy

[@hectorb8914]

RIP our Oceans

[@DippedInInk]

Amazing how footwear only used specifically for healthcare workers blew up.

[@Boredbutnotreally]

Foamposites feel left out.

[@yg1mgl]

💀💀💀

[@citizendan6390]

This is a great video breakdown. great production values and guests. thank you for this! are there more of these to dive deeper? im a new sneakerhead and love the history and people behind such activities. god bless everyone, happy Sunday!

[@theoneandonlyoni]

EVA foam is pretty durable, and they make EVA Clay that’s maluble and can be sanded when dry. I think the cobbling techniques for shoes that have existed for decades can be utilized with sheet foam, glue and stitching to make shoes that not only looks like high quality, or classy shoes that also can be resoled like leather shoes, and last you as long as the material holds up. Most boots are made of 2-3mm leather, If you glued a sheet of fabric to a sheet of foam, then cut out your pieces, then sewed everything together, you could have sturdy breathable shoes that last a long time and can be resoled if the rubber is worn down...

[@sdoyajdartistwho]

Foam is the future.

[@rawsanity27]

I refuse to ever wear Crocs. They just not My Flavor. I think they look Hideous. I’ll never understand the HYPE.

[@ifnottoday]

once you do try them on you'll understand why they are so popular

[@PoisonDwarf28]

Totally agree with you crocs are ugly af

[@tejasjadhav5663]

Greatly put together.

[@littleabin1]

Team Foam runner

[@meharvan3550]

kanye made foam cool

[@evo6176]

I used to wear crocs before the wave and I can conclude that they aren’t it. They literally look horrible. How did y’all manage to make these so expensive 💀💀

[@ericcatman9977]

Everytime I hear the 'behind the hype' I got 🥵 and send an instant like 🥵

[@shadowman2276]

Tacky fast fashion that designers over price. Crocs and all their clones should never be worn out side of the house by adults, unless you just don't give a fuck about how you look, people like Kayne and Post Malone will never convince me otherwise.

[@AlphariusXX426]

Cool so cool 🎉😂

[@jbrown6030]

Arent original or basic Crocs more of a heavy Rubber material? And only recently a lighter foam??

[@ricardorocha1898]

Crocs , Brasil, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso. Tmj .

[@eupollar]

É oque homi kkkk

[@goodvibetv4065]

Kanye made foam better

[@jameslovesbutter2314]

Foam is the way forward

[@gresh_studio]

Incomplete. Missed opportunity to talk about foam runners algae origin and the future of foam materials !!!

[@DaytonJoey]

Not my style but very interesting, ok maybe some Yeezy slides

[@joebananas415]

I can’t fight no man wearing crocs .

[@tracycousins2584]

Where can i design my mold for these types of shoes?

[@asscheeks]

Foam runnerification

[@Micazer]

CROCS STILL THE BEST!

[@samuelvilavanwijk1907]

Please do one on the iconic Moncler Puffer

[@bleach666]

Never feel comfy wearing cros due to my narrow feet tho

[@CesarIdrobo]

🏆✨

[@zimmbdo1965]

China been realising foam shoes slippers for decades Foam shoes slippers are very popular in Asia n some wear foam shoes slippers during rainy season 😂

[@yokhafiz786]

please bring back puma slip on rubber the best rubber shoes so far

[@trkortez]

Crocs look ok ish them kanye shoes aint it at all foam should not be the future of shoes... shoes that can make you faster.....shoes that stick to walls like spider man......shoes that make you levitate .....shoes that make humas have special ability should be the future💯

[@Daddyme92]

"HYPEBEAST WE KNOW ABOUT CHA, DONT BUY SHOWS UNLESS THEY POPULAR"- T. JAMES

[@StoriesJourney]

Yezzy looks better than all the others..

[@tristonemedia3996]

Voice over is hard to understand at times.

[@MisterWant]

Shoes at 0:49 anyone?

[@rlbrown]

Whoop

[@SeruSneakerStreetwear]

Whoppy2

[@wong1640]

foam

[@Zack-of8yl]

Answer the foam call

[@carpediem7654]

EVA is a great material but isn't very durable. It compresses over time and erases very fast as you walk on it.

[@maryammirzakhan9931]

It all means everything becomes expensive as fuck get you money up 🤣🤣🤣

[@A_78939]

Honestly, people have so much shit to the foam runners from Kanye and even his slide and yet it still is the main shoe that companies are copying

[@giobetancourt3741]

When l buy the futuristic yezzy foam runners & balenciaga l trow the crocs to the garbage

[@alexisdominique9882]

It’s all good until your feet get sweaty

[@tylerg749]

I think everyone agrees crocs are ugly, but will wear them because everyone else does

[@franzb69]

foam shoes = profit margins like a mofo. it costs them less than a dollar to make them and they sell 'em for so much. hundreds of percent in mark up magins. that's why.

[@qwp7318]

Que mamada

[@Blakeks1994]

I mean good vid but sh*t just they are just some simple slip ins. I think I could not take any person serious wearing overpriced foam and the Yeezy way of branding them "sneaker" is just an outrageous move of bullsh**ery beyond imagination. how are people attracted to them jeez

[@whatfleshmeanstoskeleton]

Crocs are yuck, fuck what y’all think

[@Bonkylikestopaddle]

I mean people are wearing them so it’s more like fuck what you think.

[@whatfleshmeanstoskeleton]

They don't look good tho. Regardless, crocs are ugly

[@Corwinwill]

@@Bonkylikestopaddle u mad cuz u rockin crocs

[@Bonkylikestopaddle]

@@Corwinwill I’m not mad @ all. Stating facts. People are obviously fucking with em regardless if I’m wearing them or not. And yes I’m wearing them , also wearing them ugly ass foam runners and I love them shits.

[@jcdolojo]

the voice over is terrible. sorry

[@Sept1973]

They are still the ugliest looking shoe I've ever seen.

[@crist3809]

because its cheap af to make lol

[@Channel.1061]

Crocs are still ugly af. I get it is supposed to be anti-fashion and stuff, but they are just hideous.

[@tripmcneely6519]

Once the black community gets involved with something that the white community has styled forever that style gets skunked.

[@onmoron4175]

foam car