How the EVA sandal became the shoe of the summer

Emboldened by Crocs, every shoe brand seems to have an EVA sandal now. Can the industry ever break up with its favorite plastic?

A curious takeover has been happening underfoot. If you’re a runner, you may be familiar with EVA, the squishy, foamy material that gives your shoes that shock-absorption capacity. For decades, EVA was relegated to the midsole layer of your sneaker. But over the past five years or so, the material has transcended fitness and taken over a much larger chunk of the footwear industry—namely the sandal.