polina krichko explores sneaker waste potential in 'future fossils' collection

futuristic shoes made of upcycled rubber

continuing her footwear design experimentation, polina krichko introduces ‘future fossils’, a shoe concept collection made of upcycled silicone rubber. this new series explores how parts and elements of old sneakers, which have ended up on the landfill, may look after morphing and fusing for hundreds of years. the resulting pieces present a distinctive futuristic look, falling somewhere between the worlds of sculpture and fashion.

fused rubber croc

shaping silicone rubber waste into new sneakers

since shoes have multiple elements and materials fused, stitched, and glued together, they are very hard to recycle. PVC and EVA, which take up around one third of all shoe material, are causing immense landfill pollution. EVA is the most commonly used material for midsoles in sneakers, although it has poor biodegradability. with its thermal degradation in waste sites, it releases harmful chemicals for the environment.

‘future fossils’ is a series of objects that suggest how those elements, which ended up on the landfill, may look after morphing and fusing for hundreds of years. in this project, polina krichko works with silicone rubbers, which are often used as auxiliary material, to replicate a master model and scale for production. by breaking down and reorganizing the process, she combines additives and catalysts in such a way that she can give the shaped pieces a new plastic language. the designer then adapts the process to utilize the casting material as a classic sculptural clay. ‘I love this contrast between old methods and a perceived futuristic result. many elements in my collages are from sneaker production samples that came from asian factories. development process for each style in the footwear design industry involves several samples, which shortly end up on the landfill. I reuse and recycle uppers, TPU pieces, often transform outsoles into crumb rubber, and use it in new molds’ krichko shares.

collaged croc design