South African fashion innovation at its most useful - shoes that grow with you...
Students from the University of Johannesburg joined forces to come up with an innovative idea for creating shoes that grow with children. Great for parents and for communities where kids don't have easy access to shoes.
We are living in a world where wearing shoes can be seen as a luxury for those that don't even have food. In a time like this where we feel cold and search for those warm items in our closets, we think about those that have to bear the cold without anything...
In addition, what about the cost involved in making sure your kids have shoes with their ever-growing nature, it can be a costly affair. Some kids grow two sizes in a year, which can be stressful for parents, considering this doesn't fall into the category of all the other expenses they have to cater for.
So when we heard about this innovative idea that involves proudly South African students, we felt some hope that things will change for the better. A group of industrial design students from The University of Johannesburg came together to submit their idea for a sustainable modular shoe that can grow with kids.
Defy hosted an international hackathon and the group of students who go by the name of 'Shoeciety', beat over 50 countries and won the award. Part of their prize included "cash and business support to help turn their concept into a viable business," MSN reports.
Aiden Fleetwood, one of the students from Shoeciety, said that the amount of children in South Africa without shoes sits at around 2.5-million, and this was their motivation to create something that would cater to the communities that don't have what is a basic clothing item for many.
The idea they came up with, Second Nature Shoes, was a conceptual idea and the concept was based on three objectives, sustainable living, healthy living, and financial solutions. Their aim was "not to centralise manufacturing but to empower communities to produce the shoes." (MSN)
Watch the video they made explaining their concept, they are currently working on prototypes. We are super proud that these students are looking at innovative ways to combat real-life problems that our country and the world could benefit from solving.
Video Courtesy of YouTube
Image Courtesy of Pixabay