‘Rewilding’ shoes could help restore nature as you run
What if you could help nature by simply going out for a run? That’s the idea behind Rewild the Run, a 3D-printed shoe outsole that fits over regular sneakers. It’s covered in small loops that function as hooks, grabbing dirt and seeds and carrying them along for the ride.
The loops are designed to mimic how certain types of seeds hook themselves onto the fur of wild animals, and the bottom of the outsole is shaped like the hoof of a bison, which is regarded as a keystone species — an organism that plays a crucial role in the upkeep of its own ecosystem. Bison aerate the soil as they graze with their unique hoof shape, also pressing down seeds into the ground.
The hope is that by spreading seeds, shoes fitted with the outsole could help with rewilding, a form of nature restoration that enables the environment to take care of itself, with reduced human intervention.
“Living in London, I felt very disconnected from our local environment and our nature,” says Kiki Grammatopoulos, the product designer who created the outsole as a master’s student at Central Saint Martins. “So I started thinking about ways that I could replicate keystone species in London,” she adds, “because obviously, I can’t really bring in bison or wolves into King’s Cross.”
Mimicking nature
Following the principles of biomimicry (the practice of replicating techniques or processes that occur in nature), Grammatopoulos looked at two seed types to get inspiration for the structure of the loops at the sides of the outsole: the cocklebur, and the grapple plant or devil’s claw. “The cocklebur has a straight spike, and the grapple plant has a slight curve,” she says. “I tried to incorporate them both.”
The cocklebur is famous for having inspired the invention commonly known as Velcro, a fastener system that contains tiny hooks on one side and tiny loops on the other. George de Mestral first came up with the idea in 1941 after he found cockleburs routinely clinging to his dog’s fur after walks in nature.
What if you could help nature by simply going out for a run? That’s the idea behind Rewild the Run, a 3D-printed shoe outsole that fits over regular sneakers. It’s covered in small loops that function as hooks, grabbing dirt and seeds and carrying them along for the ride. The loops are designed to mimic how…