For growing kids having a brand new pair of shoes can be a nightmare in just a year as their feet grow. Sure, they can get a new pair even though the last one is fairly good to use, but there are environmental impacts to this if that concerns you. A pair can generate up to 30 pounds of CO2 emissions which is something you’d want to avoid at all cost.
The 4Steps 3D-Printed sneakers concept by Michele Di Carlo wants to get over the issue of growing kids and piles of shoes that end up in landfills every year. In works ever since 2017, the project wants to help address the problem of eco-sustainability in the footwear industry. The use of a 3D printer to make a pair further lessens the environmental impact.
The target audience for this resizable pair of sneakers weighing 123 grams is kids aged between 6 and 14 who can use the same shoe for almost five years (that’s if they use them with care) before needing a new one. Each separate part of the shoe can be replaced for easy recycling and repair if needed. The use of molded parts having a honeycomb structure adds to the lightweight aesthetics of the pair. Michele has created a prototype of the sneakers using Filafex filament, a type of thermoplastic polyurethane known for its softness and durability.
The level of customization is not just restricted to size, the kids can choose to replace the style of uppers and sides, and also change the color or personalize them with logos or characters. Changing the size or replacing new customizable sections is as easy as taking them apart and assembling the pair again. The adjustable sneakers come with retractable heels to fit the new shoe size and all the pieces can be stringed back easily under the supervision of an adult.
4Steps sneakers are held together with the elastic strings and the adjustments can be made by unclipping and then clipping these strings back. For the summertime, the shoes have a breathable mesh while for the winter season, a layer of insulation can be put. For now, the cool sneakers are in the concept and prototyping phase, and we hope to see them as a real product soon.
Most sports are dictated by the skill and prowess of the athletes competing but there are also some sports where the sportswear and footwear that they wear can contribute to how they perform. But not all of these sports have customizable or flexible footwear to help the athletes out. Bobsleigh is one such sport and with the Winter Olympics a year away, Germany is partnering with BMW to give their team better footwear to help them compete at the top level.
The BMW Group is the technology partner of the German Bobsleigh, Luge, and Skeleton Federatin (BSD) and they have come up with customizable spiked shoes for the bobsleigh team using the power of 3D printing. Regular bobsleigh footwear have defined rows of nails attached to the toe area but these are not replaceable or moveable. Based on track and field shoes, which are more flexible, they came up with threads for screw spikes which are used to attach spike plates on which spike nails can be distributed.
This means that the spikes can be adjusted to a large selection of shoe styles, sizes, and other aspects to make them more comfortable and suitable for the athletes’ needs. You can also adjust the material and geometry of the plates and the placement of the spike nails, giving better acceleration according to the power transmission on the ice. And since 3D printing is used, they get to be more flexible and test out the spikes and make adjustments, without having to spend a fortune and spend so much time manufacturing.
They were able to test out the spike plates during the Bobsleigh World Cup (which ends later this month) and so far, they were able to get positive feedback from the athletes that they made them for. Of course there are still changes that need to be made but they do have 11 months to go for it before the Winter Olympics in February 2025. We’ll also see by then what effect these spikes have on the German team’s performance.
With a modular design that lets you add and replace inserts under your heel and metatarsal area, the EcoDasher is perhaps the only shoe insert to let you choose exactly how much support or shock absorption you want in your footwear. Perfect for pretty much any occasion, these replaceable pads let you customize your shoes to suit your exact needs, whether it’s for all-day comfort, foot-alignment, pain relief, or even endurance and athletic performance. The same insole transforms to help assist your foot and posture, working remarkably well for work, sports, leisure, and everything in between, giving your shoes the practical edge they need. The EcoDasher shoe insole makes fashion functional again!
Most insoles just provide lift or arch support, but the EcoDasher isn’t most insoles. The distinct difference in the EcoDasher’s design lies in the two removable pads at the base, and the multiple pad options that come with each insole. Each pad bestows different properties on your insole. Think of your insole as a camera, and the pads as different lenses. Some lenses give you telephoto capabilities, others let you go ultra-wide, and some allow you to go up-close in macro… the pads work the same way, giving your foot just the right amount of support it needs throughout the day and through different activities.
The EcoDasher’s design takes inspiration from the shape of a horse saddle, with curves that support the arches of your foot. The insole’s flexible design provides the right balance between adaptability as well as foot support, letting you get the most out of the shoes you wear. The pads on the bottom help provide the right amount of cushioning depending on your activities. Harder pads give support, softer ones give long-lasting comfort, and special shock-absorbing pads help provide that bounce while running, training, or engaging in any activity.
The two pads sit at strategic positions, right underneath the impact points of your feet. The heel pad, as its name rightfully suggests, sits directly underneath the heel, while the other metatarsal pad sits underneath the transverse arch, or the area between your toe and heel that comes in contact with the floor when you stand on tip-toes. The metatarsal pad comes in 3 varieties – an Oceanfoam pad that offers mild support, the Rebound pad for moderate support, and a FIT pad for extra support. Meanwhile, the heel pad boasts 4 options, Oceanfoam, Rebound, FIT, and an additional Comfort MAX that’s perfect for pain relief.
Together, the 7 pads offer up to 20 unique combinations that you can experiment with to find the ones that suit your requirements the best. Depending on your foot shape, body type (height and weight), fitness, and the activity you engage in, you can choose which pads serve your needs the best (or even use the EcoDasher without pads if all you want is a foot-hugging insole). The interchangeable pads help overcome a variety of scenarios, from daily wear to athletics, or from pain-relief to just simple foot-alignment (for people with flat feet or bad posture). With time, you’ll be able to understand exactly what your feet need throughout the day, helping you adjust your insole accordingly for unmatched comfort.
The EcoDasher still manages to have one more trick up its sleeve, and the clue sits right in its name. While most insoles are made from virgin synthetic memory foam, the EcoDasher is made from a combination of algae-based materials and recycled plastic waste. The insole itself is designed using broken-down plastic waste, and is made to be entirely recyclable, ensuring it never ends up in a landfill or the ocean. Meanwhile, the Oceanfoam pad inserts are derived from algae, and are designed to degrade into natural materials when discarded. Overall, the entire insole is made from 80% recycled materials, and comprises 47% biodegradable elements, while the remaining 53% can be recycled into other plastic products. Unlike other natural materials like cork, the EcoDasher insole is also designed to be flexible without cracking/breaking, and is also breathable and innately anti-bacterial.
Each EcoDasher offers 5 different colors to choose from and is available across 10 different sizes (which can further be trimmed to fit perfectly into your shoes. The pair of insoles ship with 14 pads in total (7 per foot), along with a nifty guide that helps you understand which pads to use based on need. The entire kit comes packaged in a plastic-free FSC-certified paper box which can be recycled after you receive your EcoDashers. The EcoDasher ships globally, starting at a Kickstarter-special discounted price of $39.
Back in 2022, a pair of motorized shoes dubbed Moonwalker burst into the scene, promising to be the fastest pair on the planet. Developed by Shift Robotics, they hook onto your regular shoes and give you superhuman abilities to glide, as if you’re you are moonwalking.
The Austin-based maker has again touched base at CES 2024 with an improved version called Moonwalker X, and we got hands-on time with these AI-powered shoes at the event. According to founder and CEO Xunjie Zhang, “In developing X, our focus was clear: enhancing productivity without compromising safety.” We second this vision as the product is proud recipient of the “Best of CES 2024” award.
The intended use for these robotic shoes is for commercial and business applications where speed and productivity is the key. For example, in a warehouse or manufacturing facility where human movement needs to be optimized while saving effort for efficiency. That said, the Moonwalker X’s can be put to good use in daily life too – for instance – hurrying to your office in the morning time or commuting in the crowded city streets. There have been other iterations of such rollerblades on steroids like the Segway – Ninebot Drift W1 and Hoverwheel, but they’ve not smashed the popularity button as expected.
In our experience with the robotic shoes at the event in Las Vegas, they do feel lighter being 3.2 pounds each – almost a pound lighter than the original version. Compared to the previous iteration they are slightly smaller and as an added perk are highly modular too for repairability. The AI control system has been re-engineered for better control in tight spaces and the shock absorption capabilities have also been honed. If you’ve keenly followed the progress of the Moonwalker, you’ll notice the number of wheels on each shoe has now been reduced to six from the 10 wheels on the original version.
Shift Robotics has not yet revealed anything about the pricing and says that it’ll be announced in the first half of 2024 when they’ll be ready to ship.
A lot of the clutter and missing items in our homes are caused by having no proper place to put our stuff. Whether they’re keys or shoes, small objects can lead to big messes when left anywhere and everywhere. Sometimes, it’s not enough just to have a place to put them; you also have to be smart in where you actually place these objects’ homes. Things that you take with you outside but not indoors are often best left near the door, but that space might not always be the best location for shelves. This design concept offers a rather elegant solution to this multi-layer problem, providing a more permanent fixture for temporary things like shoes, keys, earbuds, and even your own tired body.
Shoe racks are not an uncommon sight inside houses, apartments, and living spaces. More often than not, their placed by the door to make it easy to put shoes on when leaving and have a convenient spot to leave them after you’ve taken them off. Due to the space these pieces of furniture occupy, however, they usually serve a single purpose only and have almost no other use except for shoe storage. It’s practically wasted space, especially if you don’t have that many shoes there to begin with.
Inspired by traditional Japanese architecture like torii gates, “Tokyo” is a shoe rack that goes above and beyond the call of duty, at least if you want it to. It actually serves two other functions in addition to holding your shoes. The cushioned top serves as a comfy bench, perfect for when you need to sit down to take a breather or put on shoes. There is a small tray on one side that lets you put down your phone, keys, and other knick-knacks for a while. Given the multi-functional design of the concept, it’s something that can easily be placed near the door or against any wall. Yes, it will take up a length of space, but you’re getting three for the price of one.
What’s even more impressive is how this design implements those three functions in a beautifully minimalist manner. Like many of Joao Teixeira’s furniture concepts, it involves using bent planks of plywood to achieve simple yet sophisticated-looking forms. In this case, the two legs are bent at opposite angles, but one of them extends upward and curves embrace the cushion, creating a completely flat and solid surface to act as a temporary holding area for small objects. Structural support is provided by a pseudo three-centered arch, also made from bent plywood, that creates a shelf for larger things.
Admittedly, Tokyo hardly looks like any typical shoe rack, which makes it an ideal piece of furniture to place anywhere. The large empty space at the bottom can be home for taller shoes and boots, while the shelf can hold sandals, loafers, sneakers, and similar footwear. Of course, it could also be used to hide books, foldable umbrellas, or other things you might want to quickly grab before you rush out the door. Either way, this shoe rack and bench in one provides a convenient and charming place for shoes and small items, not to mention a comfortable way to catch your breath after coming back home.
In a thrilling new collab, luxury meets athleticism; The result? A mesmerizing, limited edition football boot that transcends the ordinary in a flashing harmony of Bugatti and adidas.
Meet the adidas X Crazyfast Bugatti: Crafted as an ode to speed and precision, this remarkable cleat is a fusion of adidas’ X Crazyfast laced boot and the vivid heritage of early Bugatti Grand Prix cars. But these boots aren’t just about pace; they encapsulate the ethos of “Form Follows Performance,” mirroring the very design philosophy that underpins the creation of Bugatti’s hypersports cars.
Limited to merely 99 pairs, each X Crazyfast exudes opulence with bespoke Bugatti design elements, making them an emblem of exclusivity. Notably, on the sides are mantras that capture the core values of both companies: adidas‘ “Impossible is Nothing” and Bugatti’s “Create the Incomparable,” symbolizing its relentless pursuit of pushing the limits in sports and automotive engineering.
The infusion of carbon fiber in the boot’s construction makes it lightweight and sturdy. The choice of material plays along with Bugatti’s use of material in exclusive engineering. But the soul of these football boots lies in adidas’ revolutionary Speedframe sole plate, technology that ensures both feather-like weight and formidable strength, enabling lightning-fast acceleration, from where the name is drafted.
The Aeropacity Speedskin, a single-layer breathable mono mesh not only helps with swiftness but also provides stability. It is designed in Bugatti’s iconic hue; the recognizable Bugatti Blue, which aligns it with the brand’s aesthetic. Add to this the boot’s Aerocage lining for support and stability, and these shoes wear snugly akin to the high-performance standards upheld by Bugatti, and requisite of the high-delivery performer on the pitch.
Much like the hyper sports cars, these boots are destined to become cherished collectibles. To add to their exclusivity, the X Crazyfast will be shipped in a unique box designed from carbon fiber, and sold through a very distinctive approach. The 99 pairs will be auctioned via the adidas Collect Web 3 platform from the 8 through 11 of November.
