alcaraz's boots can be rolled up to a fifth of their original size

alcaraz’s boots can be rolled up to a fifth of their original size
all images courtesy of estel alcaraz

wellington boots are mid-calf to knee-high shoes that find their origins in wars of the 17th century. historically constructed out of leather, they served the function of protecting soldiers from receiving any wounds around their knees. over time, their design has changed in accordance with their user. in today’s society, the boots are commonly formed out of other materials such as rubber and polyvinyl chloride to shield wearers from wet, muddy, and snowy weather conditions. due to their size and surface area, they occupy a sufficient amount of closet space. this idea has led estel alcaraz to design ‘sardines,’ a pair of wellington boots that take up a fifth of their original size after being rolled up and placed into a compact bag.

what sparked the concept was a specific moment alcaraz remembers: ‘one evening in february 2012, I got caught in the rain. by the time I got home, my clothes were soaking wet, even my socks. just as I arrived at home I saw a squashed water bottle. it was interesting to see how its volume was being reduced to one-fifth when the bottle was useless. in that moment, I wondered why my rain boots couldn’t reduce in size just like the water bottle.’

(left): the boot in its expanded form
(right): the boot rolled up

the shoes have been created with an understanding that their production would have environmental effects. as a result, they are made with a recyclable mono-material called thermoplastic polyurethane that allows them to be carried virtually anywhere. in order to be transported or stowed away, the ‘sardines’ are rolled up with a flexible strap minimizing their overall volume. a trifold product wrapper open on three sides explains the background of the project and shows the customizable colors and straps in which they are available.

the boots squash down to a fifth of their original size

the boots are made of injection moulded thermoplastic polyurethane, a highly elastic, recyclable plastic.

‘sardines’ are foldable rain boots which can be stowed away in only a fraction of the space

a flexible strap maintains the rolled up structure of the boots

the boots in their packaging

a trifold shows the available boot colors

the flexible straps come in a variety of materials and colors

info-graphic of the customization options

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.