Bio Shoes
The footwear industry has a humongous problem, many actually. From pollution to back issues, the modern sneaker has been a huge source of trouble for humanity and the world at large.
Nike has a chemical play-book, which is a bad chemical leaderboard of sorts, that features over 40 pages of toxic chemicals that are commonly used in shoes. Did you know that your feet are porous? This means that the chemicals that are below your feet will get absorbed into your bloodstream through the skin on your feet. We need to make sure that we are not poisoning ourselves and. our environment with our shoes.
Back Pain
The thick cushiony soles of our shoes are also leading causes of incorrect posture and back pain. Studies have been made that compare sneaker runners to barefoot runners and they found an array of problematic things associated with running in sneakers. From modified mobility geometry to weakened supporting muscles, all of which eventually leads to back issues and pain.
BIOSHOES is a year-long project which uses modern tools to systematically analyze issues within the footwear industry and looks for design solutions.
Project RESOLE is our first prototype. This product was made from home-grown Kombucha leather that was impregnated with carbon fiber. This created a firm yet pliable material which was extremely durable. The name Re/sole comes from the fact that the shoes were made to have a quick-change sole. This was to promote cyclical use, breaking the linear chain of make, purchase, use, throw away.
Project RESOLE: Kombucha leather based Carbon Fiber slide which features replaceable soles.
“The Whole is greater than the Sum of its parts.”
Modern technology to ideate.
This was a successful first prototype however there was lots of room for improvement. At this point we turned to AI to generate a new direction for shoe designs. This are the biofoam runners.
