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Recently, Marte den Hollander has been recognized as 'Best Graduate 2006' at the Faculty of Industrial Design (TU Delft). We share the compliments for her project Footloose, a high-heeled shoe that turns into a low-heel version with a simple switch.
Enjoy the (brand new) Virtual Shoe Museum for Footloose and more shoe fetish - or continue reading after the jump.
"The high-heeled shoe is a classic example of a no pain, no gain product. Women wearing them take so much trouble for granted! I decided to challenge this compromise. Would it be possible to make a shoe having all advantages of high heels, just as well as the comfort of flats?
I designed a shoe with a high heel, which can be changed into a shoe with a low heel. No more extra pairs of shoes in your bag, no more trouble driving a car or walking stairs, no more painful feet, no more knee and ankle damage…
For such a product to be a serious alternative for regular heels it has to be mechanically and ergonomically sound, and moreover: it has to have allure!
The character of this shoe is in the heel shape. It has separate tips for both positions. While being used in one position, the other heel tip is kept out of sight in and opening in the sole. The shoe is being transformed with a simple and quick movement: one just pulls the heel downwards to release it, after which it can be folded in or out as preferred. The adjustment of the heel position automatically changes the curvature of the sole to fit the altered shape of the foot. This mechanism has been patented."
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