About Us

Lava Rubber was started in the below sea level town of Highlands, New Jersey.  At the time, I was working for a rubber plant doing everything from sweeping the floors, laminations, constructing continuous rolls of neoprene to email marketing and eventually working my way into sales.  During that time I discovered a way to take the old pile of hand-me-down wetsuits in our surf shed (*under the bungalow) & shred them up and press them into a composite I called Lava Rubber.  After a half dozen experiments, I dialed in the formula and was ready to make the first round of mats.  My initial thought was to have a board buffer to go in between the fiberglass while boards were stacked on a roof rack. That concept quickly grew into a changing mat to get in & out of your wetsuit & not scuff your gear on the pavement.  Next was the yoga mat, which incorporates heavy consideration for Mother Earth into your yoga practice.  Those countless days of moving meditation on a mat that was made of scrap otherwise headed for a landfill, gave me great inspiration to make other goods with Lava Rubber.  Since then we have made spoon rests, coasters, pet food mats & my dream of making a slipper came true in 2018.  I went to Surf Expo and was hunting for a manufacturer to collaborate with on a pair of sandals.  After a bunch of "no's" I met Matt from Island Slipper Co.  Island Slipper was the only manufacturer still making their slippers on US soil in Pearl City, Hawaii. The stoke is real and we are in the second evolution of the Island Slipper collaboration. We are forever working with major brands like: Vissla, Matuse, Outerknown, Kane Footwear and individuals to keep valuable neoprene out of the trash and turning it into something useful.  I'd like to also thank Dive Heart for being our oldest supporter and believing in the project from day one.  Dive Heart has donated thousands of pounds of material to Lava Rubber and we can't thank them enough for everything they do for our water loving community.