An entirely biodegradable sneaker concept using soil safe materials and nontoxic glue
Midsole and upper made entirely from reused cotton fabric scraps with a sole cast from bioplastic
Research began with exploring the possibilities of forming scraps of cotton and linen fabric with a formaldehyde free wood glue.
Using found materials to function as molds to form the fabric demonstrated the variety of shapes the material could achieve.
The more layers of fabric fused together in the molds created a stronger material, enough to withstand human weight in figure 4.
Depending on application context, the material could replace flexible rubber, plaster gauze, or interfacing.
This discovery prompted the idea to make a shoe to demonstrate the intelligence of the material.
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Outsole
Midsole
Outsole: Sculpted positive mold of clay for vacuum forming before pouring bioplastic
Midsole: Layered fabric formed around shoe last and mold before cut on bandsaw
Upper: Constructed with scraps using material technique for a supportive heel and toe support.
= zero non-compostable hardware
or materials