Without really having though about it before, it has become apparent that shoes and architecture go hand in hand. To be able to wear a ‘skyscraper heel’ you must be sure it has sturdy foundations, that it’s safe, economical, environmentally friendly, and up to date in its design.
What we value in a building is remarkably similar to what we value in a heel (if you are a pretentious shoe type who might prefer a well-shod foot to a cabin by the sea), so it makes sense that architects have begun to try their hand (foot? feet?) at shoe design.
Footwear label United Nude was co-founded in 2003 by Dutch architect Rem D Koolhaas who has prize-winning architecture in the bloodlines (he is the nephew of Pritzker Award winning architect Rem Koolhaas) and seventh-generation English shoe designer Galahad Clark – thereby launching the very first footwear brand that uses architectural principles at the forefront of their designs.
One of the features of their uber-cool collection is a shoe (pictured below) that’s the new version of their Eamz design – a tribute to American designers Charles and Ray Eames (they of the famed “Eames” chair).
They’re pretty damn amazing and affordable though a touch expensive – but so is a Koolhaas building – and, realistically, unless you marry the Sultan of Brunei you ain’t never gonna own that, so you might as well just set your sights a little bit lower – perhaps at foot height?
United Nude will soon be distributed through stockists in Australia and can also be purchased online via their website.
