Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Oh my God, Shoes.

No, but for real.

Brazilian footwear designer Andrea Chaves takes shoes seriously.

By experimenting with different materials and visual effects in her pieces, she creates brilliantly conceptualized footwear, the likes of which I've never seen before.

And let's be honest, neither have you.

The Invisible Shoe


Boasting a mirrored surface, these babies will blend into practically any environment, effectively giving the illusion of invisibility.

So, if you have a cankle problem, consider it solved. Providing you have several thousand to drop on a pair of shoes, of course.

The Prism Shoe:

Structurally reminiscent of origami, these intricate slices-of-crazy are meant to manipulate and break up the light that falls on them, much in the manner of a prism. 

As you can tell from the photo, they create complex shadows on the ground below.  

(If you see a red laser point on their surface, don't be alarmed. That's just Lady Gaga honing in on these bad boys for her next tour...)

The Form and Texture Shoe:

True to their namesake, these ridiculousnesses are covered with leather squares on one side, which transition into wooden cubes on the other. 

Sure, they may look a little "arts-and-craftsy," but they definitely lay down the groundwork for future designers to run with. 

(Not too hard, though, as they'll definitely flatten those wooden-pointed heels in no time.)

So, to summarize:

Andrea Chaves is totally bat-shit, but in a way that can only push the realm of shoes (and design in general) down new and creatively exhilarating paths. 

Me? I'm just waiting for the "Invisible Bodysuit," so that I may someday find myself canoodling backstage at Bryant Park.

Your move, Chaves.

[photos: Fernando Biagioni, Ian Murphy]

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