With the impending doom of environmental change upon our heads and the development that is causing these drastic changes not looking like it will slow down any time soon, it has now come down to us as individuals to try and help the environment in whatever way we can. Celebrities have a larger platform to help – big names like Kanye West and Emma Watson have been joining the fight against climate change. Kanye West has recently shared a new prototype for his new Yeezy shoe which is due to come onto the market soon. The singer claims that the shoe is made from environmental friendly algae!

The designer of Yeezy says that eco concerns are integral to their company and they try to bring that into their work. Kanye believes that this shoe is the first step towards a bright future of eco-friendly and environmentally friendly shoes and accessories by the brand.

The sneakers are made from petroleum-based ethylene-vinyl acetate and the foam which is produced by algae. These sneakers were produced in Atlanta and the world has only been shown a prototype at the fast company festival. The rapper says that his headquarters in Wyoming will have a hydroponic farm where they will be growing their own algae. The pair that was shown to the audience was a very bland khaki type color, which may not be very appealing to some people – this is why the company is also looking into environmental friendly dyes. They want environmental friendly fashion to have more appeal to the market.

Making shoes from the foam of algae can help the environment in many different ways. Algae, unlike petroleum, is a renewable source, meaning it will regenerate and can be used multiple times, while petroleum once burnt can never be used again. However, due to the rise in the planet’s temperature we have more algae. The problem is that when algae dies, the bacteria that naturally decompose it also take in oxygen. This then leads to a lack of oxygen within the water which suffocates the marine life. Also, algae is on the surface of the water, so it begins to block sunlight from reaching into depths of the water. This leads to an over-production of toxins that would normal be killed by sunlight, which is bad for marine health as well as human health.

The Yeezy pair made from algae foam is said to be available in 2020, and are expected to be priced between 60 and 75 dollars. This really is a great initiative by a powerful and influential celebrity.