Dezeen Magazine

Dezeen archive: shoes by architects

Dezeen archive: do architects make good shoe designers? Or do they merely create buildings for the feet? As Zaha Hadid unveils footwear designs for United Nude, we've brought together more shoes by architects such as Jean Nouvel and Oscar Niemeyer  (+ slideshow).

NOVA Shoe by Zaha Hadid for United Nude
NOVA Shoe by Zaha Hadid for United Nude

Hadid's pair of limited edition shoes for Dutch brand United Nude feature 16.5-centimetre cantilevered heels.

Footwear by Zaha Hadid for Lacoste
Footwear by Zaha Hadid for Lacoste

This isn't Hadid's first forray into footwear design: she also created a collection of shoes and boots for Lacoste that spiral up the wearer's legs.

Melissa shoes by Zaha Hadid
Melissa shoes by Zaha Hadid

In 2008 she worked with Brazilian brand Melissa to make these moulded plastic designs for Brazilian brand Melissa.

Pure by Jean Nouvel for Ruco Line
Pure by Jean Nouvel for Ruco Line

Other architects that have branched into shoe design include Jean Nouvel, who presented leather and rubber boots he designed for Italian brand Ruco Line at an exhibition in Milan earlier this year.

The Oscar Niemeyer Collection for Converse
The Oscar Niemeyer Collection for Converse

The late Oscar Niemeyer collaborated with Converse to create a range of sneakers and slip-ons patterned influenced by Niemeyer's poetry to celebrate both the architect and brand's 104th birthdays.

Mojito shoe by Julian Hakes
Mojito shoe by Julian Hakes

London architect Julian Hakes showed his Mojito shoes with no footplate at London Fashion Week in 2010 and he talks about the designs in a movie we filmed at our presentation space Dezeen Platform. See all our stories about the Mojito shoes »

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