Footwear today is often crafted using a wide range of materials that eventually end up in the landfill, which is something the 'Knitted Colors' shoes take into account and offer an alternative.
Designed by Nao Zaidman, the shoes consist of two modules that are easy to attach together and combine for a sustainable footwear silhouette. The models consist of a knitted sock-like upper and a TPU outsole; the components can thus be endlessly intermixed to achieve a range of different style aesthetics.
The 'Knitted Colors' shoes are completely recyclable at end of life thanks to the mono-material nature of both components. The shoes identify what can be done to transition fashion products into a new era of sustainability in a relatively simple manner.
Recyclable Component Shoe Designs
The 'Knitted Colors' Shoes Allow for Easy Style Changes
Trend Themes
1. Sustainable Footwear - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop a line of footwear that consists of recyclable materials that can be endlessly intermixed for a range of different style aesthetics.
2. Modular Shoe Design - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create footwear with separate components that can be easily attached and combined to achieve different style aesthetics and reduce landfill waste.
3. Mono-material Products - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore mono-material components in diverse industries to create sustainable products that are easier to recycle at end of life.
Industry Implications
1. Footwear - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Introduce modular footwear designs that use recyclable, mono-material components for more sustainable products.
2. Fashion - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Implement modular designs and mono-materials in clothing, accessories, and textiles to promote a more sustainable fashion industry.
3. Product Design - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Apply a modular, mono-material approach to product design across different industries in order to create more sustainable and easily recyclable products.