In the nineteenth century, shoemaking in the West was transformed from an artisanal craft into an industry driven by the invention of new methods and materials. The mass production of footwear made a variety of shoes accessible and affordable to more people, and footwear consumption began to rise.
However, industrialization also introduced new limitations. Feet suddenly had to fit into predetermined sizes, and consumer choice was limited to the styles and colors determined by manufacturers. Other impacts of mass production were ever-increasing levels of exploitation and waste as both production and consumption grew.
Today, many shoe designers and companies are grappling with this history. Innovation remains at the forefront of the industry, but the goals have begun to shift. Using state-of-the-art technologies, groundbreaking materials, and new and innovative approaches, forward-thinking creatives are pushing the boundaries of footwear design. From 3-D printed concept shoes to virtual NFT sneakers, these cutting-edge innovations are shaping the footwear that we will wear well into the future.
Innovation has long driven footwear design and production, with each new material and production method meeting shifting needs and stoking new desires. Today, innovation continues unabated. Cutting-edge technologies are being used by future-thinking creators to push footwear forward in startling new ways, from responsive smart shoes to 3-D printed heels.
COMPUTER SHOE
In the early 1980s, computer technology was embraced to enhance athletic performance. The revolutionary 1984 Adidas Micropacer had a microsensor in the left toe that could record distance, running pace, and calories burned. This information was retrieved on the readout screen found on the tongue of the left shoe. The futuristic design, including the silver-gilt leather and
unusual lace covers, also reflected the hope of physical perfection through technology.
Adidas Micropacer, 1984. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, gift of Philip Nutt.
LACELESS
In 1991, Puma launched the Puma Disc XS 7000. It featured an internal system of nylon cords that could be manually tightened using a small ratcheting disc. A quick-release button made
removing the shoes simple. The innovation was celebrated as the future of footwear. In 2021, Puma rereleased the original model in celebration of its thirtieth anniversary.
Puma Disc XS 7000 OG, 2021. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum
FORM = FUNCTION
In the early 1990s, Steven Smith and Paul Litchfield created one of the most futuristic sneakers of all time, the Reebok Instapump Fury. Its radical new architecture was achieved by stripping away everything but the most essential components. The air bladder allowed the sneaker to be fitted to the foot without laces and functioned as the upper. The two-part sole allowed the forepart of the foot and heel to be cushioned with no extra material.
Reebok Instapump Fury, 1994. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, gift of Reebok
FOAM
In the 1990s, Nike’s Eric Avar began exploring the possibility of making uppers out of foam. The undulating design of the revolutionary Foamposite, inspired in part by beetle exoskeletons, was seen as too futuristic, so the moulds were destroyed. However, it went on to be one of Nike’s most iconic shoes.
Foamposite 20th anniversary, 2007. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.
BACK TO THE FUTURE
The dream of footwear that automatically laces itself began in 1989 when Marty McFly, in the film Back to the Future II, wore a pair of Nike MAGs designed by Tinker Hatfield. Although they were just props, Nike worked over the decades to realize the dream. On October 21, 2015, the day that Marty McFly arrived in the future, Nike announced that it was releasing eighty-nine pairs of self-lacing Air Mags to raise money for Canadian actor Michael J. Fox’s foundation for Parkinson’s research.
Nike MAG, 2015. Collection of Nike DNA
AUTOLACING
Today, Nike offers a range of auto-lacing shoes, including the Adapt BB MAG. The lacing is easily calibrated by using an app or by making the adjustments using the buttons on the outsole.
The batteries last up to twenty-one days, and are easily recharged using an induction charging pad.
Nike Adapt BB MAG 2015. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.
VISIONARY
Benoit Méléard challenges the accepted architecture of shoes by consistently pushing the envelope of what a high-fashion shoe can be. Using the language of geometry, his carefully cantilevered heels and unexpected uppers create striking silhouettes giving his designs a futuristic appeal.
“O” Collection, 2000. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, gift of Benoit Meleard.
THINKTANK
The philosophy of Nike’s ISPA lab is in its name: Improvise. Scavenge. Protect. Adapt. Its small team of creatives are encouraged to scour past innovations and reclaim discarded material in order to design futuristic footwear to meet the needs of city dwellers and achieve a circular economy. The Road Warrior borrowed innovations from running, basketball, training, and outdoor footwear to create a shoe for future urban environments. The split-toe was designed to allow for a “barefoot stance.”
Nike ISPA Road Warrior, 2020. Collection of the BSM.
TOXIC ALGEA
As a result of climate change, toxic algae blooms have affected water systems worldwide. Innovators are experimenting with ways to use this protein-rich material to create pliable and biodegradable foam to replace the petroleum-based ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) widely used in the footwear industry. The futuristic Yeezy Foam RNNR, designed by sneaker industry legend Steven Smith, is an example of footwear made using algae-based foam.
Yeezy MXT Moon Grey, Foam RNNR, 2021. Collection of the BSM.
3D PRINTED
A long-term goal of Rem D. Koolhaas, co-founder of United Nude, was to make 3-D printed shoes at an affordable price point. After years of development, United Nude released the Float, a fully functional, consumer-priced, 3-D printed shoe. It is comprised of three pieces that click together to form an open-toed sandal with a cantilevered heel.
United Nude Float Shoe, 2014. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.
MOULDED
In 2013, Rem D. Koolhaas and renowned architect Zaha Hadid collaborated on the NOVA. The complicated design included a platform and heel wedges made out of vacuum-casted fiberglass.
The seamless uppers were rotation moulded in vinyl that was then chromed. The NOVA was the first shoe to ever be made using rotation moulding.
Zaha Hadid x United Nude NOVA, 2013.
ROBOT MADE
Robot workers have long been integral to visions of the future. Adidas made them a reality when the company created its first Speedfactory in 2015. The first shoe created by this robot-dominated factory was the Futurecraft MFG (Made for Germany), a high-performance running shoe launched in 2016. The upper was made of almost zero-waste Primeknit technology, and featured “patches” in areas requiring the greatest support. The BOOST sole was fitted with an
exposed torsion bar to further improve flexibility.
Adidas Futurecraft MFG, 2016. Collection of the BSM.
DOPE
In 2016, Nike-sponsored runners began breaking speed records wearing prototypes of the Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4%. Ultra-lightweight and designed with a full-length curved carbon-fibre plate in the midsole that retained energy like a spring, the shoe boosted running performance by up to 4.2 percent. Concerns were raised that the advantages offered by the Vaporfly 4% were equivalent to “mechanical doping,” but it was never banned. Many iterations, including the ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 2, have since been released.
Nike Zoom x Vaporfly Next %2, 2021. Collection of the BSM.