runners can help scatter seeds in cities thanks to these chunky trainers with ‘spiky’ outsoles

rewild the run trainers by kiki grammatopoulos 

From biodegradable sandals to temperature-controlling insoles, footwear fashion is taking major strides forward by introducing incredible features to the field. Most of these new perks are paired with ‘green’ materials, like mycelium — take the Super Mario-inspired leather boots we covered earlier this year with mushroom-infused heal pads. Following in that upward trend is designer Kiki Grammatopoulos who looks to biomimicry to craft a pair of chunky trainers dubbed Rewild the Run. Boasting spiky blue outsoles, the shoes become vessels for plants and seeds to get hooked on when people walk, allowing them to spread across cities. A graduate of Central Saint Martins, Grammatopoulous exhibited her creation at the 2023 MA Material Futures exhibition at the University and during Milan Design Week 2023. 

outsoles evoking hooves & fur to help spread plants & seeds

Reflecting on her project, Kiki Grammatopoulos (see more here) emphasizes that Rewild the Run responds to the ‘extensive fragmentation and reduction of natural habitats’ caused by urban growth. A consequence of that artificial expansion is the disruption of a natural phenomenon: the spread of plants and seeds, typically facilitated by animals, to ensure their proliferation across landscapes, ultimately maintaining a stable ecological dynamic. In light of this situation, the practice of ‘urban rewilding seeks to equip cities and towns to support wildlife and cater to diverse ecosystems within urban constraints,’ the designer writes on Instagram.

Grammatopoulos wanted to take it one step further by fully democratizing urban rewilding with her proposed trainers — particularly the eye-grabbing electric blue outsoles designed as tiny hooks that mimic hooves and fur. Animal species sporting these features become ideal carriers for plants and seeds, carrying them to a new ecosystem to promote biodiversity. ‘The city is an entirely man-made construct and demands intuitive thinking to integrate natural spaces within it. Therefore a vital part of urban rewilding is the human component of the process. Footwear is our connection to the ground and our environment. With this project, [we allow] city dwellers to engage in the ecological growth of the local environment,’ she concludes

project info:

name: Rewild the Run 

design: Kiki Grammatopoulos | @studio_kiks

program: MA Material Futures – Central Saint Martins | @uniofheartslondon