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Kanye West Explains Why The Yeezy Foam Runner Is The Future Of Sneakers

Kanye West and Joe Rogan linked up on Friday for a long three-hour conversation that covers a whole plethora of topics. Throughout the conversation, Kanye began by talking about his Presidential bid and why he felt like it was so necessary for him to run for President of the United States. From there, West spoke about his artistry and what he has been able to accomplish in both music and fashion. Of course, this led to a lengthy discussion about West’s sneaker design and some of the backlash that surrounds them.

Kanye was at his most excited while talking about the Yeezy Foam Runner which became infamous on the internet thanks to its peculiar croc-like design. At the 1 hour-22 minute mark in the interview clip below, Kanye speaks on the design for the Foam Runner and how it was fully realized by another talented designer, who was recently brought into the Yeezy brand.

“I designed this thing, we call it the Foam Runner, and we built a factory for it in Cody and you can make these in 25 minutes. And what I’m saying about design, I was talking to one of the awesome designers we just got over at Yeezy. We’ve got this amazing crew. We’ve got guys that Nike sued us for, and one of these guys, I was trying to hire him for two years, he had to go surf for a year, and now he’s in,” Kanye divulged. “When he does his cad drawings, it’s like one shot one kill. Sometimes you design stuff and you have to re-do it five to eight times. His first one is so close to being ready for market because he sketches in a certain type of way.

“I’ve been saying I want to get rid of laces and we still have shoes we sell with laces because it’s a popular shoe and people love this shoe. And it hurts me. I feel like Steve Jobs trying to remove buttons off the side of the next [iPhone,]” West continued before explaining what makes the Foam Runner unique. “If you guys look at most sneakers, you have a tongue and it goes this direction. This is the reason [the Foam Runner] is one of the most important sneaker designs because it’s ergonomic. I remember putting it on and being uncomfortable because I’m so used to how a Jordan fits with my jeans. I remember talking to Kobe about making sneakers that have to fit with jeans.

Kanye West

Brad Barket/Getty Images for Fast Company

West went on to note that this shoe was a gut-feeling for him and that he truly feels like the sneaker can revolutionize the way we look at shoes in the future. Kanye has always been one for innovation, and it’s easy to see just how important it is for him to continue pushing boundaries with the Yeezy brand. After all, it’s this philosophy that has made him into a billionaire.

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Kyle Ashen’s sun-drenched recollection with new release “That Local Girl”

Kyle Ashen’s latest release, “That Local Girl,” is a gorgeous trip down memory lane, a country single that explores that golden glow of memory, like flipping through old photographs touched by salt air and summer sunlight. It’s warm, cinematic, and deeply relatable, a song about the kind of love story that never quite goes away, even as time moves on.

“That Local Girl” is filled with imagery that quickly takes the listener into a world they can walk right into. You got a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl on a boardwalk street by the ocean, a souped-up truck driving through town, neon lights reflecting off the ocean breeze, and the electric innocence of young love burning in the background.

But under all that cutesy trapping is something more than that, longing. Some people, some places that leave permanent marks on Kyle Ashen and us know that. What’s so brilliant about this song is that it marries those two ideas, making love and hometown memory feel beautifully inseparable. Sometimes you miss a person. And with that person, you miss an entire version of life. “That Local Girl” is more than a country love song from Kyle Ashen. He is a living postcard from the past, sun-faded, bittersweet, and glowing with feeling. A reminder that summers pass by, but some memories stay with us forever.

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ECHOFLIP inspires faith and fire with triumphant anthem on “Kingdom Rise”

ECHOFLIP marches forward with commanding purpose on “Kingdom Rise,” a single that not only demands attention but also commands it. Driven by pounding drums, soaring melodic textures, and full-conviction lyricism, the song arrives like a battle cry with the heart of worship. Bold and energized and spiritually charged from beginning to end.

“Kingdom Rise” is street realism meets kingdom vision at its heart. It’s got grit in its pulse but grace in its message as well. Each bar rings with resilience with ECHOFLIP, a record that embodies struggle, perseverance, and steadfast faith in the face of adversity. The result is music that is rooted in reality while reaching for something much larger.

What makes the single particularly compelling is how seamlessly it combines high-energy Christian trap with uplifting spiritual themes. The hard-hitting production has edge and urgency, and its faith-centered focus gives it soul. It’s motivational without being pushy. Worshipful without momentum loss, without losing authenticity. Ideal for trap gospel, inspirational rap, and urban playlists that aim to uplift as much as energize, “Kingdom Rise” delivers on all fronts. It moves the body, it sharpens the mind, it stirs the soul.

Connect with ECHOFLIP on Spotify