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In Her Shoes

In Her Shoes

London-based architect Zaha Hadid’s latest project explores futuristic vessels of movement in relation to the human body, or in non-archispeak she’s designed a pair of shoes!

Initially previewed during the Frieze Art Fair in London this past October, the collaboration between the famed architect and the French apparel company LACOSTE has finally become a realized product that will be ready for production in July 2009.

The Zaha Hadid for LACOSTE footwear collaboration is not Hadid’s first venture into shoe design. Having already designed a pair of eco-friendly rubber shoes with Brazilian label Melissa, Hadid’s new line features both men’s and women’s calf leather boots that enwrap the foot from sole to ankle to leg in an continuous and fluid manner.

“The design expression behind the collaboration with LACOSTE footwear allows the evolution of dynamic fluid grids,” said Hadid, according to a official statement from LACOSTE. “When wrapped around the shape of a foot, these expand and contract to negotiate and adapt to the body ergonomically. In doing so a landscape emerges, undulating and radiating as it merges seamlessly with the body.”

Beginning as a “digitized interpretation” of the iconic LACOSTE crocodile, Hadid’s research team explored a series of surfaces with repeated patterns to create the finished product. Made from a combination of heat embossing (ridges) and debossing (grooves) techniques on the leather, the pattern covers the shoe, with details on the sole and heel, including a unique Zaha Hadid for LACOSTE logo.

The limited-edition collection of approximately 850 pairs of shoes will be available in black and purple for women and black and navy for men at high-end boutiques in Paris, London and Milan, while a main range of shoes are scheduled to be released worldwide in September.

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