What if footwear became a tool for regeneration?
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Every step we take leaves a trace. In footwear, that trace is usually microplastic pollution, with synthetic particles building up in our oceans and soils. These materials enter food chains and ecosystems, with effects we are only beginning to understand. Biological Footprint offers a different approach by proposing shoes that give something back, rather than taking away.
Developed on the island of Gotland, the project uses Baltic seaweed as the basis for a new footwear material. The Baltic Sea is heavily overfertilised and under ecological strain, yet its seaweed absorbs excess nutrients as it grows. By harvesting and transforming this seaweed into a usable material, the project supports water quality restoration while creating a regenerative product. Unlike conventional shoes, which shed microplastics with every step, these soles release micronutrients, native seeds, and organic matter into the ground below.
The design treats friction as a regenerative force. As the sole slowly wears down through walking, it releases seeds and nutrients into both urban and rural environments. Inspired by the jaybird, a natural seed disperser, and the form of the lotus seed pod, the structure reveals pockets of embedded seeds as specific areas erode. This controlled breakdown allows for gradual and widespread distribution over the lifetime of the shoe.
As the year comes to a close, Biological Footprint offers a reflection on cycles of seasons, materials, and impact. Echoing Dulcie’s focus on coastal ecologies and closed-loop seaweed innovation, the project asks what might happen if the marks we leave behind helped restore the environments we move through. It proposes a shift from footwear that depletes to footwear that nourishes, using materials and methods already available. It marks a final step in 2024, and a first step towards treating our surroundings not as surfaces to cross, but as living systems to care for.
References: Evelina Lavergren
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