Sustainable canvas sneaker explores a unique design that lets you detach and repair your footwear

The Disassembly Lab is really one of those designs that doesn’t need much explaining. A lot of what makes this footwear great is clearly visible in its aesthetic itself, making it one of those shoes your eyes fall in love with LONG before your feet do. After all, isn’t that a hallmark of great design?!

What makes the Disassembly Lab footwear so great is its clever construction, featuring easy-to-disassemble parts that make the shoe simple to repair and even recycle. The shoe is characterized by two distinct halves, the upper body, and the outsole, with rivets/plugs that let you wind a piece of rubber band around. The rubber band holds the two halves together, also allowing for flexibility during movement. The result is a shoe that’s distinctly different, as the rubber band goes beyond being just a design feature – it becomes an iconic element of the Disassembly Lab’s design, turning sustainability into pretty much a visual motif!

Designer: Robin Luginbuhl

Chris Wawrousek, Innovation Studio Lead Designer at New Balance once said – “One day, laws are going to change, and brands will be responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products from beginning to end.” This phrase stuck with Robin as he designed the Disassembly Lab sneaker prototype. “Products can’t live on their own anymore; they have to be conditioned to a new system if they want to become more responsible,” Robin expanded. “Essentially, Disassembly extends the life of a shoe, making it repairable, restorable, replaceable, and recyclable.”

A major part of shoe assembly (and a major recyclability hassle) is the glue that’s used to hold components together. While fabric and leather elements can be stitched together, the upper half of a shoe is almost always glued to its outsole, giving it reliable durability during use, but becoming a big hassle when it comes to recycling because A. this glue can’t be ‘unglued’, and B. it’s almost always made of synthetic materials, so the shoes can’t be bio-degraded either. Robin’s alternative is simple, and frankly genius. Visually, it reminds me of the rubber bands used in braces, but technically, it’s an incredibly effective way to hold the shoe upper and sole together in a way that allows for flexibility without a hassle.

The result is a combination of iconic and genius. The shoes look great, with their patterned ‘belts’ that can be adjusted, customized, and even tightened or loosened depending on overall flexibility. The pegs on the upper and lower halves can be shaped in circular or rectangular designs, causing the rubber band to adopt different patterns, much like sound waves (sine, sawtooth, square, etc.) There’s even an experimental 3D-printed upper that has jigsaw-style pieces that plug into the sole (concept visible below).

“These shoes, with their TPU soles and 3D knitted upper, are reduced to the essentials, enabling simple, rapid production and assembly by hand, and easy recyclability,” Robin mentions in his project post on Instagram. The Disassembly Lab is currently just a concept, but even as a proof of concept, it’s rather remarkable. We could use a few wearability-test videos to really get a sense of the practicality of the design, but otherwise, both functionally and ecologically, we’re sold on the idea!

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Moonwalker X robotic shoes arrive at CES 2024 with improved maneuverability and lightweight modular design

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.

Designer: Shift Robotics

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.

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Nike Alphafly 3 Proto lets you run a marathon comfortably and fashionably

I know a lot of people whose holiday gift wish list would be a pair of sneakers, specifically a pair of Nike sneakers. Those who are too old for Santa would probably post their dream sneaks on their social media in the hopes that one of their loved ones would grant their wish. If you’re planning to do a bit of long-distance running, this new pair from Nike is something you can dream about.

Designer: Nike

The Alphafly 3 Proto is created specifically for those who are looking for sneakers that can withstand two-hour marathons and beyond. It has actually been tested by actual marathoners like world record holder Kelvin Kiptum famed middle and long distance runner Sifan Hassan. Nike says these shoes are “fine-tuned for marathon speed” so you can challenge yourself to beat your personal records and if you’re into competitive running, to leave others in the dust.

These sneakers are special because of three kinds of innovative technologies that can power your run (or walk). You get two forefoot Air Zoom units together with the ZoomX foam so you get energized no matter how long you’ve been running. There is also a full-length carbon fiber plate which helps propel your stride. Lastly, you get the heel-to-toe ZoomX foam midsole so you’re still comfortably walking or running whether it’s mile 1 or mile 26.2.

The Alphafly 3 Proto is also the lightest in this line and has an Atomknit upper that will give your feet room to breathe and at the same time have better multidirectional containment. It also has notched laces and an integrated knit tongue with lofted padding. You will have to wait for the new year to get your hands on this pair though as it will only be available by January.

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Top 5 Futuristic Footwear Designs You’ll Be Itching To Get Your Feet Into

With our hectic lives which pretty much involve us running around all day, the right footwear can make a world of difference. Shoes started off as functional designs meant to protect our feet, and yes we need to pick ones that do exactly that, BUT, they should also reflect our style statements and represent our personality and our personal fashion sense. After all, don’t they say that you can tell a lot about a man by the state of his shoes? Personally, I love a good pair of sturdy and stylish sneakers, ones that can get me through the day without giving me any shoe bites, and also match my outfits. However, I do know that this isn’t the case with everybody. People have high demands and expectations when it comes to their footwear, hence designers are unleashing all of their creative juices, leaving no stones unturned in making unique, innovative, and ergonomic shoes. From a laceless shoe concept to Marvel x Nike Football sneakers – these footwear designs are as futuristic, inventive, and fashionable as they can get!

1. Marvel x Nike Football Sneakers

Paul Parsons created the Marvel x Nike football sneakers using MidJourney’s AI. These spectacular sneakers successfully capture the glory and grandeur of the MCU’s iconic heroes and antiheroes. The series includes 9 different footwear models, which are dedicated to the distinctive characters from the Avengers movie, and Wolverine as well!

2. Zaidmann’s Shoes

Created by Zaidmann, this unique shoe design includes two modules that can be attached to build an environmentally friendly silhouette. The shoe is made using two parts – the knitted upper, and a TPU outsole. The shoe features a modular design that allows the wearer to mix and match different pairings for different looks.

3. Plastic Soul

Los Angeles streetwear brand Rose In Good Faith collaborated with sex toy manufacturer Doc Johnson to form a pair of shoes using plastic recycled from sex toys. The entire shoe is created by utilizing a combination of plastic sourced from unused adult toys that have been damaged and non-bleached Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate (EVA) foam.

4. The Laceless Poseidon

The Laceless Poseidon breaks the mold of how footwear is usually designed, it doesn’t have the usual body of a shoe, instead, it looks like it is enveloped by an alien substance. The Poseidon’s outsole and body merge into one, with organic patterns that look like fingerprints, adding a unique and innovative touch to the shoe’s overall aesthetic.

5. Rewild the Run Sneakers

A graduate of the London University Central Saint Martins, Kiki Grammatopoulos, created a rather unique running shoe that spreads plants and seeds throughout the cities. The outsoles of the shoes are inspired by bison hoofs, and they are designed to encourage people to get involved with rewilding.

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Top 10 Sleek & Futuristic Footwear For The Hardcore Sneaker Geeks

With our hectic lives which pretty much involve us running around all day, the right footwear can make a world of difference. Shoes started off as functional designs meant to protect our feet, and yes we need to pick ones that do exactly that, BUT, they should also reflect our style statements and represent our personality and our personal fashion sense. After all, don’t they say that you can tell a lot about a man by the state of his shoes? Personally, I love a good pair of sturdy and stylish sneakers, ones that can get me through the day without giving me any shoe bites, and also match my outfits. However, I do know that this isn’t the case with everybody. People have high demands and expectations when it comes to their footwear, hence designers are unleashing all of their creative juices, leaving no stones unturned in making unique, innovative, and ergonomic shoes. From the world’s first net-zero carbon shoe to Marvel x Nike Football sneakers – these footwear designs are as futuristic, inventive, and fashionable as they can get!

1. Marvel x Nike Football Sneakers

Paul Parsons managed to concoct the ultimate Marvel X Nike football sneakers using MidJournye’s AI. These innovative sneakers successfully capture the grandeur of some of the MCU’s most memorable heroes and antiheroes. The series features 9 different footwear models, dedicated to distinct characters from the Avengers movie and Wolverine as well!

2. URNBC3’s Shoes

These innovative sandals by URNBC3 are designed to order, based on a 3D scan of your foot. The shoes are sustainably built utilizing natural materials that don’t have a harmful impact on the environment. Each shoe is designed to perfectly and uniquely fit the shape of your foot. They’re designed to be a well-stitched suit to your foot!

3. Weaver+ Shoes

We|aver+ or Weaver+ 3D prints a material that is quite close to knitted fabric, except it uses elastic TPU. The printed shoe looks more like chainmail than typical fabrics, but that’s because the hollow-loose knitting structure provides the shoes with the flexibility necessary to support the growth of children, while also offering stable support to ensure the heels don’t lose their supplements.

4. NikeCraft General Purpose Shoe

NikeCraft GPS Design

NikeCraft GPS X Tom Sachs Collab

The NikeCraft General Purpose Shoe (GPS) is one of the latest addition to the NikeCraft lineup. The shoe is described as an “Ordinary Shoe for Extraordinary People”, as it enables you to do everything everywhere. The GPS shoes are a celebration of the 10-year collaboration between Tom Sachs and Nike.

5. The M0.0NSHOT

Allbirds launched the M0.0NSHOT – the world’s first net carbon shoe at the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen on June 27th. The shoes have a net carbon footprint of net 0.0 kg CO2e, and have a minimal all-grey woolly sock-style trainer form with an upper made from regenerative wool, and a bioplastic midsole. It is supposed to be one of the most sustainable mass-produced shoes we’ve seen till now!

6. Zaidmann’s Shoes

Designed by Zaidmann, this shoe design comprises of two modules that can be attached together to create an environmentally friendly silhouette. It is made in two parts – the knitted upper, and a TPU outsole. The shoe showcases a modular design that permits the wearer to play around with different pairings for a varied look.

7. The Laceless Poseidon

The Laceless Poseidon breaks the mold of how footwear is usually designed, it doesn’t have the usual body of a shoe, instead, it looks like it is enveloped by an alien substance. The Poseidon’s outsole and body merge into one, with organic patterns that look like fingerprints, adding a unique and innovative touch to the shoe’s overall aesthetic.

8. Rewild the Run Sneakers

Kiki Grammatopoulos, a graduate of the London University Central Saint Martins, designed a unique running shoe that spreads plants and seeds in cities. The massive outsoles are inspired by bison hoofs and are designed to encourage people to get involved with the cause of rewilding and to prompt a broader and deeper reevaluation of our relationship with nature.

9. Lamborghini Performance Sneakers

The Lamborghini Performance Sneakers were designed by Hussain Almossawi as a tribute to the automotive icon’s 60-year legacy. The stunning sneakers perfectly capture and represent the company’s raging-bull design aesthetic, while functioning as an edgy and innovative piece of footwear with brilliant surface treatment and drool-worthy glowing details around the midsole and the outsole.

10. The Heaven’s Door

The Heaven’s Door is a unique pair of sneakers with a close-toe design and an open-ish ankle aesthetic, much like a slip-on sandal. The shoe features a leather body, punctuated by an elastic strap along the side, which connects the rear flap to the main shoe. It has a rubber outsole that is pretty comfortable for outdoor use in an urban environment, while also subtly hiding the springs in a recessed channel running along the length of the shoe.

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Nike’s Phantom Luna Soccer Cleats Specifically Aim To Reduce Injuries in Female Athletes

Are there any soccer fans out here?! If you’re following the women’s world cup this season, do notice if the ladies have been playing more comfortably than their previous games and if there has been a noticeable reduction in injuries. And if you already have, Nike has been successful in designing the athlete’s shoes this season! This newfound agility and safety can be attributed to Nike’s innovative design of the Phantom Luna soccer cleats, which have been specifically engineered to reduce injuries for female players.

Designer: Nike

Gender equality discussions are to be revolved around rights and remuneration, it’s essential to recognize that there are inherent physiological differences between men and women. One striking fact highlighted by Yale Medicine is that female athletes are two to eight times more likely to suffer an ACL tear compared to their male counterparts. These injuries often occur in sports that involve rapid pivoting, such as soccer.

If you’re wondering what an ACL tear is, it’s a common injury, particularly in sports that involve pivoting on one’s foot, like soccer. The ACL is a ligament in the center of the knee that prevents the shin bone from moving forward on the thigh bone. Female athletes face a higher risk of this injury due to the biomechanical differences resulting from the wider female pelvis, less muscle mass surrounding their knees, and hormonal factors like lower testosterone and higher estrogen levels, which can lead to looser tendons and ligaments.

Taking these challenges into account, Nike’s designers embarked on a three-year journey to create a solution – the Phantom Luna soccer cleats. The primary goal was to provide female athletes with enhanced traction, confidence, and speed on the field.

The key focus during the design process was on traction. Soccer cleats are intended to provide grip on turf, but if not designed thoughtfully, they can work against the body during pivoting movements. To tackle this issue, Nike’s designers introduced the Nike Cyclone 360 Plate, a circular traction pattern on the cleats’ bottom. This innovative plate is engineered to optimize traction while also maximizing rotation, allowing footballers to make agile and confident cuts on the field without compromising safety.

Another notable feature of the Phantom Luna is Nike’s GripKnit texture, covering the ball-contacting surface. This texture, slightly sticky in nature, enhances the player’s control over the ball, facilitating precise dribbling, passing, and shooting. The material molds to the shape of the foot, providing an equal grip in wet or dry conditions. Additionally, micro-molding texture works in conjunction with GripKnit to ensure better boot-to-ball strikes, ensuring amplified touch during gameplay.

The secure fit and feel of the Phantom Luna contribute to its overall effectiveness on the field. The cleats feature asymmetric lacing, offering a larger touch surface for dribbling, passing, and scoring. The repositioned lacing pattern allows for increased midfoot adjustability, accommodating players with different foot arch types. Furthermore, the asymmetrical Flyknit cuff material provides a snug fit, while subtle ribs in the cuff enable higher ball contact on the ankle during trapping and passing.

The Phantom Luna soccer cleats are a game-changer, addressing the unique challenges faced by female athletes and empowering them to perform at their best. By reducing the risk of injuries and providing enhanced control and traction, Nike’s innovation can elevate the game for players of all levels.

While the design has been tailored from a woman’s perspective, it is essential to note that the cleats will be available in men’s sizes as well, making them suitable for all players who desire improved performance and reduced injury risk.

While Nike’s Phantom Lunas have already been a hit among professional athletes, they are now available to civilians for $275. So, whether you’re a seasoned player or an enthusiastic soccer fan looking for high-performance footwear, these cleats might just be the perfect fit for you. As the old saying goes, “If the shoe fits…” – it might lead you to victory on the field!

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The Future of Footwear: These Sandals Are Made Using 3D Foot-Scans for a Perfect Fit

The problem with fashion is its fast nature. Fashion is one of the biggest polluters simply because it moves quick and creates tonnes of waste in the process. Moreover, mass-production in the fashion industry means it inherently embraces a one-size-fits-all business model. If you’ve ever worn a tailored suit or dress, you know that it’s just miles ahead of something off a shelf. However, that doesn’t necessarily apply to footwear because not too many people make bespoke shoes. The result is that a vast chunk of the world’s population wears shoes that don’t fit them well… because a factory manufactured shoes in a particular size without considering foot shape, width, toe length, and the heel arch. Swiss-based URBNC3 is looking to change this by bringing a new sustainability-meets-tech approach to footwear. URNBC3’s sandals are designed to order, based on a 3D scan of your foot. Each shoe is sustainably built using natural materials that don’t have an adverse effect on the environment, and is designed to uniquely fit the shape of your foot perfectly. URBNC3’s sandals are to your feet what a well-stitched suit is to your silhouette and sense of style… and we believe everyone should have at least one pair of well-fitted shoes!

Designer: Kristýna Hrabánková of URBNC3

Click Here to Buy Now: $149 $249 ($100 off). Hurry, only 73/100 left!

URBNC3’s sandals take on an approach that’s consumer and planet-first. Each sandal is tailor-made to the shape of your foot, giving you the perfect fit that makes you wear the sandal more and for longer. They’re designed to be stylish, gender-neutral, and even customizable, with the ability to switch straps, change strap styles (choosing between crossed straps or straight straps), and experiment with unique color palettes. The straps are made from a vegan plant-based leather created from apples, offering cruelty-free, bio-based leather that reduces fruit waste. The base is made from a biopolymer too, which is industrially compostable and has a measurably lower impact on the environment when compared to conventional materials used in other shoes.

The base is URBNC3’s secret sauce. Each sandal’s sole comes meticulously 3D printed to fit your foot perfectly. The 3D prints are generated using a scan of your foot, that can be created right through URBNC3’s smartphone app using the camera. Complex algorithms capture 3D data, generating a CAD model of your foot; and URBNC3’s built-in software, developed in collaboration with foot health experts, helps create the sole to perfectly match your foot, while also accounting for ergonomic adjustments for optimal comfort. The result is a sandal that’s just as unique as you are, and caters to all foot shapes and sizes, factoring the requirements of wide feet, slim feet, flat feet, high arches, and even rare occasions where people have feet that are marginally different in size. This means no more cramped feet, blisters, or foot aches as a result of badly designed footwear!

The URBNC3’s sandals come in slip-on or strapped-in variants, and you can customize your footwear right through the app, choosing your sole color, strap color, as well as how many add-on straps you want. The soles will be 3D-printed right in URBNC3’s facility in Zurich, Switzerland, while straps and materials will be sourced locally as well as nearby countries within Europe, to help keep the sandal’s carbon footprint as low as possible while allowing URBNC3 to ensure the highest quality possible. Each bespoke-made slip-on sandal starts at €135 ($149 USD) or €154 ($169) if you want to upgrade to the strapped-in model.

Click Here to Buy Now: $149 $249 ($100 off). Hurry, only 73/100 left!

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Move Over Yeezy, These Nature & Geometry-inspired Foam Runners Have Our Hearts And Eyes

Looking like something out of a cyberverse, the EXPLR 02 are a pair of 3D-printed runners that combine organic shapes with a geometric grid to create something unusually beautiful. “Inspired by modern geometric structures and nature’s patterns of repetition, 02 is an exploration of creating distorted yet organized chaos,” says designer Matthew Blunt. The shoe’s unique design also pushes the limits of 3D printing, which is perhaps the only possible manufacturing process one could use to prototype the concept.

Designer: Matthew Blunt

The shoe’s eye-catching design has some incredibly noteworthy details that make it quite a wonderful example for footwear enthusiasts and future designers. The grid-shaped outer body gives the shoe its breathability and flexibility – although it isn’t necessarily suited for dirty paths or gravel roads, just indoors, perhaps. Wearing the shoe is easy as your foot slips right on, with a heel tab that lets you pull the shoe upwards as you slip it on. Ankle and toe cutouts give the shoe an interesting visual effect as they cause the grid to contort around the cutouts, warping to make the shoe pattern more eye-catching.

What’s the most interesting is by far the shoe’s inner sole, which remains the only solid part of the entire footwear. While the entire shoe’s form is dominated by grids, the inner sole acts as a single solid platform, separating the upper half of the shoe from the lower half. In fact, the lower half isn’t solid either, but was purposely left hollow, giving you a pillow-like air-gap between the outsole and the inner sole. What this would do for the shoe’s actual functionality remains to be seen, but for the designer, this was the fastest, easiest, and most interesting way to build out a prototype.

Given its name, the EXPLR 02 is still an exploration on Blunt’s part, who is an LA-based industrial designer, having worked with Nike and Rivian in the past. Blunt also tried experimenting with colors, going for a more vibrant selection as compared to the Yeezy Foam Runners that stick to more neutral hues in the beige family. Blunt’s EXPLR series aren’t for sale, but hopefully he’ll make the CAD files available to designers who can then experiment with materials and mods to make the shoes more industrially feasible and consumer-friendly.

An FDM 3D printed prototype shoes the shoes without the inner sole

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Top 10 unique + futuristic footwear sneakerheads should grab today

With our hectic lives which pretty much involve us running around all day, the right footwear can make a world of difference. Shoes started off as functional designs meant to protect our feet, and yes we need to pick ones that do exactly that, BUT, they should also reflect our style statements and represent our personality and our personal fashion sense. After all, don’t they say that you can tell a lot about a man by the state of his shoes? Personally, I love a good pair of sturdy and stylish sneakers, ones that can get me through the day without giving me any shoe bites, and also match my outfits. However, I do know that this isn’t the case with everybody. People have high demands and expectations when it comes to their footwear, hence designers are unleashing all of their creative juices, leaving no stones unturned in making unique, innovative, and ergonomic shoes. From the world’s first net-zero carbon shoe to Marvel x Nike Football sneakers – these footwear designs are as futuristic, inventive, and fashionable as they can get!

1. The M0.0NSHOT

Allbirds launched the M0.0NSHOT – the world’s first net carbon shoe at the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen on June 27th. The shoes have a net carbon footprint of net 0.0 kg CO2e, and have a minimal all-grey woolly sock-style trainer form with an upper made from regenerative wool, and a bioplastic midsole. It is supposed to be one of the most sustainable mass-produced shoes we’ve seen till now!

2. Marvel x Nike Football Sneakers

Paul Parsons managed to concoct the ultimate Marvel X Nike football sneakers using MidJournye’s AI. These innovative sneakers successfully capture the grandeur of some of the MCU’s most memorable heroes and antiheroes. The series features 9 different footwear models, dedicated to distinct characters from the Avengers movie and Wolverine as well!

3. Rewild the Run Sneakers

Kiki Grammatopoulos, a graduate of the London University Central Saint Martins, designed a unique running shoe that spreads plants and seeds in cities. The massive outsoles are inspired by bison hoofs and are designed to encourage people to get involved with the cause of rewilding and to prompt a broader and deeper reevaluation of our relationship with nature.

4. The Ultimas

Outdoor equipment brand Cub Cadet designed limited edition shoes called The Ultimate Lawn Mowing Shoes or The Ultimas. The black and yellow pair of shoes perfectly complement the Ultima Series lawn mower that was previously released by the brand and is intended for people who want to wear a cool pair of kicks while mowing their lawns.

5. EXPLR 02

Matthew Blunt designed the EXPLR 02 – a pair of shoes that look like the wireframe you see in 3D modeling software, although it has an even higher resolution and a number of empty spaces. The design takes inspiration from the nature of those digital artifacts. Repeating patterns, organic forms, and an almost chaotic composition all come together to create footwear that is both beautiful and intriguing.

6. Lamborghini Performance Sneakers

Designer Hussain Almossawi designed these super cool Lamborghini Performance Sneakers as a tribute to the automotive icon’s 60-year legacy. The sneakers perfectly capture the company’s raging-bull design aesthetic, while creating an edgy and innovative piece of footwear with excellent surface treatment and drool-worthy glowing details around the midsole and the outsole.

7. The Heaven’s Door

The Heaven’s Door is a unique pair of sneakers with a close-toe design and an open-ish ankle aesthetic, much like a slip-on sandal. The shoe features a leather body, punctuated by an elastic strap along the side, which connects the rear flap to the main shoe. It has a rubber outsole that is pretty comfortable for outdoor use in an urban environment, while also subtly hiding the springs in a recessed channel running along the length of the shoe.

8. AC1 Boot

Designed by Brooklyn-based mischief makers MSCHF, the Ac1 Boot is designed to explore the lighter and fun side of hopping around in walking boots that are intended for rehabilitation from a foot injury. The designer got the idea for the sneakers when he saw a person walking in medical boots down Prince Street in New York.

9. Modern Synthesis’s Shoes

Modern Synthesis is using bacteria to create a pair of shoes! The biotechnology company is now looking at growing or cultivating “microbial textiles” in its laboratory and using this to create a more sustainable material for shoes and other kinds of footwear. They are using the sugar you can derive from plant waste and microbes and then turn it into nanocellulose.

10. UV-Zhu’s Nike Conceptual Series

UV-Zhu’s Nike conceptual series are basically inflatable structures paired up with daily objects resulting in kicks that you would probably never see at the Nike showroom. The ankle straps are made from white garters, silicone, and paper-based tapes. The outsoles have been power-packed with springs so that they can allow the wearer, to walk without actually putting any effort into walking!

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Allbirds unveils “world’s first net-zero carbon shoe” with regenerative wool upper and bioplastic sole

A couple of months ago Allbirds announced the M0.0NSHOT – the world’s first net carbon shoe. Although there are quite a few net carbon shoes out there made from traditional and natural materials, this shoe is the first of its kind in the commercial shoe industry. The minimal, all-grey sneaker is set to have a carbon footprint of net 0.0 kg CO2e and is supposed to be one of the most sustainable mass-produced shoes we’ve seen till now! The shoe was announced in March, but it was finally unveiled at the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen on June 27th, we’re quite excited to dive deeper into it!

Designer: Allbirds

The Moonshot is an interesting-looking woolly sock-style trainer that features a bioplastic sole, and an upper made using regenerative wool. The wool was produced on a regenerative farm in New Zealand, which employs sustainable land management practices to ensure it captures more carbon than it produces. “Regenerative wool was a critical pillar of helping us reimagine how products are designed and made through the lens of carbon reduction,” said co-founder Tim Brown. “To me, the currently untapped opportunity for naturally derived, net-zero products is the future of fashion.”

Quite interestingly, the company has open-sourced the design and manufacturing process behind Moonshot with their ‘Recipe B0.0K’, which provides detailed information on the materials, manufacturing, transportation, end-of-life, and carbon footprint calculation behind the shoes. It is an excellent initiative to encourage and motivate the production of sustainable footwear, by sharing their secrets with other manufacturers, and quite literally simplifying the process for them. “It is also about ushering in a new age of ‘hyper-collaboration’ across brands and industries to share best practices, build scale for all parts of the supply chain, to reward growers and lower costs,” Brown continued.

The high-top design of the shoe and its cozy bootie-sneaker style are respectful of AllBirds’ signature style, to maintain and strengthen the connection with the company’s fan base. The carbon-negative regenerative wool upper is complemented by a carbon-negative bio-based midsole foam made using sugarcane and created via supercritical foaming. The logo was made using methane-capture bioplastic through a partnership with Mango Materials. And the packaging for the shoes was produced from sugarcane-based polyethylene, a carbon-negative material that cuts down on the weight and space needed for transportation. All in all, the impressively sustainable sock trainers seem to be paving a new path in the world of footwear!

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