From a study project by German designer Emilie Burfeind, nominated among the candidate projects for the Green Concept Award 2021, comes the prototype of a biodegradable sports shoe made with the use of renewable and waste materials, of unconventional use.
The upper of the sock sneaker is in fact made of a “wool” obtained from dog hairs from grooming, thanks to the collaboration with a start-up that is concerned with the collection and transformation into yarn of this resource that is generally managed as waste. Through a 3D knitting process, it was possible to produce a seamless and waste-free upper, characterizing areas with different functionality. The sock is then immersed in liquid natural rubber, with the aim of creating water-repellent protection. While the sole is made from mycelium mixed with cellulose derived from agricultural waste.