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!
