It’s said that shoes speak volumes about a person’s character. But what might a pair of leather boots with their own detachable sole and a climbing rope for laces say about its wearer? Clearly, Almaty-based designer Daniyar Uderbekov wasn’t overly concerned about what people would say while designing UDRB – a pair of modular sneakers – that can keep the shoe industry from making another environmental hazard.
By rethinking materials and design, Uderbekov offers more than just style. Leveraging modern technology and drawing inspiration from traditional Central Asian footwear, UDRB is designed to be a repairable and sustainable pair of sneakers. The footwear comprises three parts: the leather boots, a 3D printed TPU sole, and a climbing rope lacing system. All the parts are made to assemble without glue, making them modular, dismantlable, and easy on the environment. The assembly is also effortless and tool-free: to assemble, the leather boots are placed on the TPU sole and secured by wrapping the climbing rope as laces.
Designer: Daniyar Uderbekov
Made from natural leather, the boots are a direct inspiration of the form and function of the Makshi and offer a nice, secure feel and longevity. The boots can either be paired with the sole and laces, or worn independently as a stylish indoor shoe. The lightweight and flexible 3D printed TPU sole is also durable and is customizable to the wearer’s unique footprint. Since the sole is made from a single piece of thermoplastic polyurethane, it is easy to replace and recycle it at the end of life.
The boot and the sole fasten to each other without glue. Instead, neat climbing rope laces make the securing process effortless and stylish. The choice of climbing rope instead of the traditional laces is a nod to the mountainous landscapes of Almaty, the designer’s home. With the approach to material reduction and modular build, the sneaker components can be replaced, repaired, or recycled, which can help enhance the silhouette’s lifespan and promote a circular economy.
Of course, the shoe is peculiar, but it’s an artist’s expression of a product that lays emphasis on design, material usage, and additive manufacturing, which can reduce its overall environmental impact. The design, therefore, is highly bent at promoting glueless construction, which, in addition to being easy on the environment, should enable repairability and recyclability: there are genuine aspects that the footwear industry needs to adapt.
Personally, I would give UDRB sneakers and their flamboyant nature a pass. I am very conservative with what I wear, but then my conscience is arguing to give up the usual to embrace the modulo-modern. I am at an impasse. How do you feel about the UDRB? Is this something you would want to give a try, or just sit back and wait for the idea to become mainstream and then utilize what’s in the more usual wear domain?
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