FOOTWEAR, FASHION, PRODUCT DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
SPN-TEC is a collection of 100% recyclable shoes that are deviating from the visual stereotype of sustainable design. They are a derivative of my previous project PIN-TEC. An average shoe is made up out of 62 individual panels that are glued, sewn or nailed together and that are very difficult to take apart. Making it almost impossible to recycle them. The SPN-TEC shoes are completely digitally designed and are constructed with zero glue, zero stitches and zero material contamination while still using the same materials as our current everyday footwear.
The shoes are held together by the SPN-TEC module that contains a ratchet system and 4 cables that connect to the 3D-printed rubber outsole cage. This semi flexible outsole wraps around spikey PU foam midsoles where the spikes protrude through the cutout holes in the cage to firmly connect them to each other. These midsoles are poured with liquid foam in 3d printed moulds. Some models have EVA uppers that are vacuum formed and heat welded. A specific structure made out of recycled soda bottles is used to hold the whole shoe together and make it adjustable.
The SPN-TEC system introduces a digitally sculpted footwear collection embodying zero material contamination, full recyclability, and complete transparency. Beyond its sustainability, the collection boasts visual allure, harmonizing eco-consciousness with aesthetic appeal.
Very special thanks to:
StudioOverlab
Marleen Ettema
Thijs Janssen
FormX Amsterdam
03. PIN-TEC (2024)
The PIN-TEC project is situated 150 years in the future where our world has changed due to global warming. The landscape is changing rapidly, turning from glacier to swamp to desert in a matter of days. In order to navigate these conditions I created a system of modular shoe parts that are connected through the PIN-TEC latch system. These modular parts consisting of outsole’s, uppers and attachments have a specific function for each weather condition. The parts match to create an ice climbing boot, Dune Walker and the Hydroplat made for walking through swamps and flooded areas. All parts have button-like connection points on critical construction areas that get connected to each other by semi flexible loops that clip onto the connection pin thus creating the PIN-TEC footwear series.