This is Not a Shoe - Overview

‘This is not a shoe’ is the first assessment task within the Fashion Design Body Artefacts and Accessories course in the Bachelor of Fashion (Design) at RMIT University. The design of the course and associated research project is informed by coordinator Alexandra Sherlock’s doctoral research exploring the material and semiotic affordances of shoes for wearers and producers in processes of being and becoming.

The activity requires students to deconstruct old shoes using manual hand tools and reconstruct the resulting materials into artefacts or accessories to be worn on the body. Marks are awarded for minimal waste and the only materials that can be used are those sourced from the shoes themselves (no adhesives, jewellery findings, paint or decorations).

The activity is designed to enable and enhance a perception of matter and activate a sustainable ‘material-driven’ approach to design. In this context, rather than sourcing materials to realise a preconceived idea, students are encouraged to let the materials guide the design process; the materials themselves becoming unexpected collaborators.

Impacts for Sustainable Design Pedagogy

Research conducted with students undertaking the course has demonstrated the value of the activity for establishing a circular design mindset. First, the difficulties encountered during disassembly encourage a reflection on unsustainable production processes. Perhaps more significantly, through a process of interaction and material transformation new affordances and creative opportunities emerge, enabling students to move away from the notion that materials and artefacts have a beginning (birth) and an end (death).

More than just upcycling, the activity defamiliarises everyday objects, enabling even the most abject, invisible, redundant or mundane of materials and tools to become a creative resource and pathway to innovation. An enhanced recognition of these unconventional materials' endless and rewarding potential overrides their perception as a burden. Research findings suggest that an enhanced ability to see the potential of all materials becomes a burden in itself that encourages a more mindful approach to consumption.