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ABOUT FUTURE FOOTWEAR FOUNDATION

FFF stands for creating footwear that is sustainable for the body and for the environment.

Future Footwear Foundation was developed by Catherine Willems as part of her doctoral research at  KASK School of Arts of University College Ghent, Belgium . The biomechanical component of ‘Future Footwear Foundation’  is done in collaboration with Kristiaan D’Août (Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, University of Liverpool). Design related aspects involve close collaboration with the artisan communities and different industrial partners with VIVOBAREFOOT as a pioneer, UK-based collaborator, sharing our vision.

Photographs are courtesy of David Willems, Thomas Nolf, Flora Blommaert and Kristiaan D’Août.

the focus of our research

PEOPLE

Living and working with indigenous cobblers and studying their craft and skill around shoes and feet.

PLANET

Working together to create shoes inspired by indigenous designs but adapted to urban lifestyles while exploring new approaches and technologies in order to achieve sustainable production

FEET

Studying bio-mechanics, walking, gait analysis and foot health.

Our research
Our core values

AFTER LIFE

REUSE
RECYCLE

our core values

PERFORMANCE

MINIMAL IMPACT 
SECOND SKIN

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PRODUCTION
CONSUMPTION

3D PRINT
MADE TO MEASURE

DESIGN

MONO MATERIAL
LOW PIECE DESIGN

!Aice, N!ani, Komtsa working on the San-dals in the Nyae Nyae Conservancy, March 2018

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Kristiaan d'Août, dr 

Lecturer University of Liverpool

Our collaborations
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Ju|'hoansi NAMIBIA
 

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Saami FINLAND
 

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Juttee INDIA

Toehold INDIA

the cobblers we collaborate with

IKunta Bo, headman of Doupos, explaining how to make the n!ang nIosi sandal. Doupos, Namibia, 2018.

Who is who?

team members

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Catherine Willems, dr

Founder FFF and lecturer

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Flora Blommaert

Practice assistant FFF

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Sofie Verclyte

Researcher, Design & legal  Anthropology

Our partners

the partners involved

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