How the EVA sandal became the shoe of the summer

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. These days it seems as if every brand has its own version of an EVA sandal or slide....