The d-torso Shoes model is a cardboard craft kit designed after running shoes. It consists of 33 parts and can be assembled by anyone without any scissors or glue.
Shoes have been necessary items in our life since ancient times. The oldest shoe mold was found in 5,000-year-old Sumerian ruins.
The style of shoes has been changing to pursue the ideas of both “practical utility” and “status symbol.” As a result of scientific application, the latest running shoes are engineered for walking more comfortably and running faster. At the same time, shoe design has been evolving to express human desire. In a sense, shoes reveal the inner workings of human beings.
The d-torso started with the mannequin to express the human shape and describe the human skin without a visible surface. By designing these shoes, we believe that we have found a striking new motif for the d-torso.
The d-torso Shoes model is a cardboard craft kit cut by a specially designed laser. It includes 33 pieces, all attached to cardboard sheets. The pieces are easily removed and put together without the need for scissors or glue, so anyone from children to adults can enjoy the assembling process.
The most difficult part in the designing process was to figure out the shape of the shoes. They have many organic curves to cover the feet, and it took a time to make these curves into lines. Shoes are originally designed to fit to the feet closely, and running shoes have an especially beautiful shape based on human engineering. It was a very difficult theme for me, but I eventually figured out the dynamics and images of the shoes.
by Kazuhiro Nishimura / Design dept.