designer dons self-made shuttlecock shoes, soccer ball sliders, and more

in her continuous exploration of prototypical apparel, nicole mclaughlin documents her handcrafted, experimental series of footwear. the wearable pieces are meticulously crafted from an array of such upcycled materials as deconstructed tennis balls, clustered shuttlecocks, and repurposed nikon camera straps. this sideline endeavor exhibits mclaughlin’s propensity toward streetwear, reflected by her work with reebok and vetements. 

all images by nicole mclaughlin

the strange experimental nature of each piece is born of the fact that the collection is driven by the designer’s self-gratification of exploring her craft. rather than upcycling for the sake of ‘sustainability’ alone, mclaughlin strives for authenticity while making use of these unexpected scrap materials.