If you have ever struggled with finding shoes that fit your feet
perfectly, take heart. A Japanese designer has taken that universal need
to a whole new level — and it all started with cheese.
Tokyo-based designer Satsuki Ohata was inspired by cheese fondue for something he calls the Fondue Slipper.
Fortunately you don’t have to dip your feet in melted Gruyere: his idea
is to create custom shoes for your unique feet using thermosetting PVC
material. Once the material hardens to your individual shape, you get a
pair of slippers that Ohata claims can be worn inside and outside. And
there’s no waiting for the UPS guy to deliver the goods: it would be
sold as a do-it-yourself kit — though Ohata says he wants to use a safer
material than PVC if this goes to market.
Fondue Slipper could be the new Crocs-meets-FiveFingers hybrid.
In describing the footwear, Ohata told OZY they have a “barefoot feeling” and you can feel the ground.“It can also be used as [a] slipper by folding the heel, or you can
wear it without folding the heel if you want to run,” he also explains
on his website.
For now, the concept looks more like an art project than practical footwear, but Ohata has photos of people wearing the shoes while relaxing at home, cleaning the house and even commuting to work.
Ohata’s
“fondue moment” came when he noticed how the molten cheese wrapped
around food. He experimented for over a year, applying the process to
everyday items like a computer mouse, light bulb and pencil.
The
result? He discovered that the fondue’s draping effect functions like
our own skin. That insight, along with feedback from people around him,
led Ohata to devise the concept for fondue footwear.
Design
inspired by nature (or cheese, in this case) is intriguing, but it
might also smell — and not in a good way. Ohata admits the shoes are
“sweaty inside for now,” but he is working on solutions that include
adding small holes for ventilation. Sounds like Fondue Slipper could be
the new Crocs-meets-FiveFingers hybrid.
No word yet on what podiatrists might make of this cheesy concept
SATSUKI OHATA Fondue Slipper
Milano Salone Satellite displayed
I'd like to present you the new footwear which will perfectly match with
your foot by "dipping" your own foot. I have named it "Fondue Slipper"
because the production process is similar to cheese fondue. It's very
easy to make. You just dip your foot and dry it. That's all.
*This prototype is using PVC, which hardens at 200~300 degrees Celsius
(392~572 degrees Fahrenheit). This time I used my foot mold instead of
my foot.
I am currently developing a kit which allows Fondue Slipper to make at
home. Soon this new kit will be complete and you will be able to make
your own Fondue Slipper that fits your foot perfectly. You can wear
Fondue Slipper both inside and outside. It can also be used as slipper
by folding the heel, or you can wear it without folding the heel if you
want to run.
