Kids’ sneaker subscription: beautiful shoes, clever concept

Well-conceived circular design helps make sure products can be recycled and reused. This is precisely where Neunoi sneakers come in. The brainchild of designers Thibaut Wenger und Narada Zürrer, Neunoi was the final project of the duo’s Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design, which they’ve just completed at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). «We wanted to develop a repairable, recyclable kids’ shoe because children’s feet grow quickly, creating an ever-growing mountain of discarded shoes,» says Narada, commenting on the pair’s work at this year’s ZHdK Degree Show. He adds that establishing a kids’ shoe subscription would make sense for the same reason.

Shoes for the short term: the subscription system

The subscription is still only theoretical. If it were put into practice, however, it’d involve the following. Every available model could be viewed on an online shop. As soon as a pair of Neunoi shoes were to become too small, a follow-on pair would be ordered in the next size up. The old pair would go back to the designers, who’d replace the sole, remove the insole and wash the shoes. They’d also touch up any imperfections, prepare the shoes for the next child, and put them back online.

To find out what children want in a shoe, the designers got them involved in their research. «We did two workshops with children aged 6-15 and sent a questionnaire to different school grades,» says Narada. Kids who answered the survey questions shared their views on sustainability as well as their expectations regarding functionality and appearance. Later, two children tested the shoes at a video shoot. «If we move forward with the project, we’ll have to extend the testing phase.»

When the children were asked to draw their dream shoe as part of the survey, stars proved to be a particularly popular sneaker motif. «We incorporated the star on the bottom of the sole and made it our trademark.»

From old to new

What makes the idea behind Neunoi special is the transparency of the manufacturing process – the origin of each component is clearly known. «Children’s shoes create a lot of microplastic debris that ends up in our environment,» Narada says. With this in mind, the outer sole, including the star, is biodegradable. It comes from Swiss cleantech start-up Kuori, which makes sustainable materials using food waste such as banana or nutshells. Like the insole, this part of the shoe can be replaced.

One area that needs to be patched up soonest, he said, is the inside of the heel. «Kids often just stomp their way into their shoes without untying the laces first,» Narada explains. As a result, the heel bends inward. To prevent the shoe from becoming misshapen, the designers have developed an innovative Velcro solution that allows for quick replacement, improves comfort and adds a colour accent.

To make the shoes easier to put on and take off, the designers use Velcro fasteners instead of laces. However, not even these are immune to tearing. «That’s why we use stretchy Velcro that can be replaced.» The most exciting part of their design, however, is a little compartment «for storing secrets».

To allow imperfections on returned shoes to be mended – and celebrated – they use a classic material involved in shoe production: leather. This comes from the waste material produced by a Swiss factory, and has the advantage of not needing to be seamed. «The sneakers look different with each repair, so they’re given a playful new spin every time they change hands.»

The idea certainly went down well at the ZHdK Degree Show. Following this, the designers are submitting it to some design awards to make valuable contacts. «On the one hand, we want to see how the concept will be received within our industry. On the other, we want to drive a new way of thinking within the field of design.»