inflatable concept shoes are layered with daily objects in UV-Zhu’s fashion metaverse

inflatable concept shoes with sponges, tapes, and paddings

The future of fashion design and technology seems to be looking more unwearable every day, and the entrance of UV-Zhu’s inflatable shoe designs testifies to that. Before, designboom underlined his collection inspired by mutated creatures. Recently, he deconstructed and published his NIKE concept shoes and series where he layered his creations with daily objects, coupled with his inflatable structures in the art of shoemaking. His ankle straps are made from white garters and silicone and paper-based tapes. He injects springs into the outsoles to catapult the user as they walk without exerting any effort to lift their feet.

Sponges and soft paddings are sandwiched in the middle of the shoes, adding some comfortable support for the feet. In one of the shoe ideas, UV-Zhu replaces the sponge with an inflatable filled with candies and the outsole with cotton buds-looking bristles. The designer destroys, reassembles, and recycles already-made shoes, a dive into his creativity and a personal analysis of how shoe designs can develop.

images courtesy of UV-Zhu

VIRTUAL FASHION IN THE METAVERSE

Another series UV-Zhu introduced is the AIR anthology where the designer discloses that he made the shoes by inflating them. He also shares that there is no functional or practical value involved in these designs and that they act as an exploration of forms and abstracts meant to be artistic and ornamental.

In this series, inflatable-inspired shoes take over the limelight with their soles that resemble floatation devices. Some of the high tops are doused in bubblegum and saturated colors while the others have jelly, ombre soles. One of the shoes even has just a transparent design for those who want to show their new pedicure designs.

from NIKE-deconstruction series

concept shoes TO PLEASE THE EYE

When designboom highlighted concept designer UV-Zhu’s inflatable shoes, they seem to mark the signature of his conceptual shoes. At times that he inflates the shoe floaters, he fills them up with candies for those who have sweet tooth, and they anchor this playful and zesty energy as these shoes refashion the current fashion climate by turning accessories into works of art that serve their purpose to just please the eyes. As the designer shares, ‘I do not think shoes have to be practical. They can also stand alone as pieces of art.’ With the way technology and research advance these days, materializing these inflatable concept shoes might be a possibility.

these inflatable shoes from concept designer UV-Zhu repurpose daily objects

NIKE shoe concept with tapes and paddings

from the concept designer’s AIR series

in this series, some of the shoes have jelly-like soles

transparent concept of the shoe design

read our story on his other shoe concepts here

project info:

name: Inflatable concept shoes

series: AIR and NIKE

designer: UV-Zhu