Sarajevo designer Tea Petrovic has designed a collection of shoes based on the work of late Russian sculptor Naum Gabo and Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.
The collection includes ten different prototypes created while Petrovic was studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo.
Petrovic aimed to exploit the space between the sole, heel and floor.
The text below is from the designer:
My name is Tea Petrovic, a graduated student of the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina.
I have created a shoe collection, as my graduating project, that is centered around the idea that each shoe is an sculptural-architectural structured form.
The collection contains ten prototypes entirely handmade.
Each model is an experiment with the high heel, because they determine the whole form of a shoe.
The heels are columns, constructive elements on which the whole creative process is based with an aim to create a new concept of high heels.
Bernard Figueroa once said: “There is so much space between a woman’s heel and the floor that one can use.”, and that is exactly what I tried to accomplish using this space as much as possible.
These shoes are primarily an art object and their function is secondary.
The focus is on the form, their only decorative element. Design is based on the exploration of new high heel shapes, resulting in numerous variations of their basic form.
The heel shapes are created by multiplying, intercepting and rotating 2D surfaces in order to achieve a 3D figure.
As a result there are three groups each representing a different approach to unique design forms.
The first group – linear constructions – is inspired by Naum Gabo and they represent the idea of levity, transparency and complex structure.
Architectural shoe – the second group refers to the constructions and architecture of Santiago Calatrava with an accent on detail. These high heels are sculptural figures which dominate and determine the form of a shoe.
The final group of the collection – wings/variations – are steered around the tendency for natural, organic shapes, compact forms and distinct sculptural and architectural details. The whole concept is based on monocoque form.
To underline their sculptural form, the shoes are kept white, which on the other hand emphasis the artistic language, present in the entire collection.
February 25th, 2010 at 5:54 pm
Fantasticno!!!
February 25th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
beautifull…and interesting…does Tea have a web site?
February 25th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
only lady gaga will wear these
February 25th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
ah! now some of these are rather beautiful … the mule for instance is exquisite and kinda Barbie like …
the simplest ones would compliment and outfit .
February 25th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
This are amazing!! i’m not a fashion or heel girl bit these are beautiful!
February 25th, 2010 at 7:30 pm
1st image; tension cables in a compression application make my teeth itch.
February 25th, 2010 at 7:31 pm
none of these look comfortable… i appreciate the boldness, but seriously. theyre shoes: if they hurt your feet this much then they’re pointless
February 25th, 2010 at 8:09 pm
A visual feast for the eyes, but a shoe that isn’t comfortable and wearable is a poor design.
February 25th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
Lady Gaga would wear all of these!
February 25th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Sarajevo has something special :)
February 25th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
Very nice indeed . We love high heels .Nicely done.
February 25th, 2010 at 10:30 pm
i’m a shoe lover, and these are just stunning!
prada will buy the prototypes, i’m sure!
February 26th, 2010 at 1:55 am
I love sneakers but this is just so cool. I wish I can wear one of them.
February 26th, 2010 at 1:59 am
why do they put tension string on the point of compression for the first shoe?
February 26th, 2010 at 2:59 am
He should collaborate with United Nude! Rem D. Koolhaas, are you checking this out???
February 26th, 2010 at 4:03 am
Why are there so many cold blankets in this world when the designer has already mentioned ‘These shoes are primarily an art object and their function is secondary’? It’s an exploration of form and concept, so for those who are deeply concerned about comfy level, go get a Clarks? yawnz.
February 26th, 2010 at 5:15 am
interesting … how look shoes inspired by Tadao Ando? …
February 26th, 2010 at 8:45 am
wooow thisss is so special :D Tea is the best, so original :D I’m lovinnnn it
February 26th, 2010 at 8:58 am
these are only aesthetic and well- modelled statues, which have inspired from a shoe’s form.. does anyone have worn these? do they can? does anyone can walk with these? without pain?without slipping? do they have any ergonomics?. i don’t think so… designing and crafting a real shoe is totally different occupation
we an only appreiciate the idea behind and the asthetic quality… there is too much work on these, to realize them…
February 26th, 2010 at 9:35 am
Wicked !
February 26th, 2010 at 9:38 am
please architects….. stop designing shoes!!!!!!
February 26th, 2010 at 10:16 am
it is not clear to me why do you call these shoes. I think you designed a dog with eight spider legs, no teeth, ears of an elephant and neck of a giraffe. Good try!
February 26th, 2010 at 10:26 am
These are seriously sexy. Congratulations.
(can’t believe someone said they don’t look comfy… they are high heels you fool!)
Funny… why is there always this architecture/shoe cross over?!?!
…it’s not like there’s always a furniture / trouser relationship…
February 26th, 2010 at 11:19 am
Let me guess…all the people commenting on the ergonomics and wearability of high heels are male. Have you SEEN what some of the high heels on the market are like? Most of these are tame in comparison!
February 26th, 2010 at 11:43 am
Impressive! Congratulations. I like specially these shoes with ‘big ears’.
February 26th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Great idea, good design and -better yet- fine irony for Calatrava’s… Right scale for forms, nice accesories to enhance beauty and proper place for shapes that appeared, before this funny example, to have been done with their designer’s right foot!
February 26th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
I am surprised by all the comments relating to ” comfort”
hello ??? shoes are more than something we walk on , they build a silhouette , flatter the legs , and have always had a fetichist aspect to them ..
sometimes you need to suffer for grace .. sorry , a fact .
and high heels can be comfortable , if you know how to walk in them…
February 26th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Very cool, but oh! how I wish there were pictures of these shoes ON FEET!
February 26th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
I love all these art pieces you have created… Fantastic, I am very much impressed with your creativity… I would love to buy all of them!!!!!! Comfortability….doesn’ t really matter you foolish men!!!!!!
February 26th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Hi, I am a editor of china. i love you design very much. how can i have your contact information like e-mail or number
February 26th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
I must agree with the comment about the tension cables in compression – inappropriate, distracting, and bothersome! In fact, the use of wire in the pieces is not very successful. Otherwise, quite beautiful!
February 26th, 2010 at 5:55 pm
are they for wearing ???
February 26th, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Congratulations Tea!
Very cool,good design,impressive….
Show the world what kind of artist Bosnia has.
We are proud with you.
February 26th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Calatrava’s designs.. are like an actress who falls in love with the sound of her own voice.
March 1st, 2010 at 12:42 am
@thedesigndummy,
I agree, Lady Gaga would wear all of these, only she might have a lot of balsa wood splinters and paper cuts to deal with.
If Calatrava was a departure point for this, much more attention should have been taken into how the forces are distributed, ie the tension cables being used for compression. The fact there is no part of a shoe that is held purely in tension.
March 1st, 2010 at 2:59 am
work it!
awesome sculpture, and hey if you can walk in them too! kudos to you!
March 2nd, 2010 at 7:57 pm
I love all these shoes, they are beautiful. You would be surprised how many people would wear them – not just lady gaga! no pain- no game!
March 18th, 2010 at 11:45 am
What part of “These shoes are primarily an art object and their function is secondary.” do you NOT understand?
March 22nd, 2010 at 6:19 pm
why cannot an architect design shoes? they are much better than those boring things designed by fashion designers.
April 30th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
it is very something.
some guys said that this work are made by Santiago Calatrava ,
an architectures. … i think i was wrong, i’m sorry :(
i’m a Korean, i’m searching for something inspirated for me.
( i dont know it is right grammar.. hhh)
then, ur pieces – bbiyooooung – appeared !! !!
so i appreaciate you so much, thank you. ^^
it is fabulous, way to go ,!!!!
May 13th, 2010 at 10:13 am
All people who are interested in my design can contact me and follow the updates via http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Tea-Petrovic-Shoes/345172132613?ref=ts
July 15th, 2010 at 12:04 pm
Amazing…very elegant design also unique…^_^ I am speechless…^_^
July 29th, 2010 at 5:07 am
What material have you used for these? Is it just paper?
July 29th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Some details were made of wire and the rest is plastic (they are prototypes).