Material Matters: 2018 Recap

The sneaker giants continued to push the envelope in 2018, as many brands introduced a bevy of new materials and cushioning technologies. Translucent uppers and TPE were everywhere in 2018, as were the likes of adidas’s 4D Futurecraft. Sustainability was also a point of emphasis, with materials like Flyleather and Parley’s recycled ocean plastic bringing a little moral fibre to our favourite silhouettes. Kicks also got a little bit of an utilitarian edge, as the likes of Fidlock and Gore-Tex brought their wares to a variety of different styles.