This is Not a Shoe
This is Not a Shoe is a research-informed, participatory creative project based in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia, that transforms end-of-life shoes into unexpected artefacts and accessories. Through hands-on workshops, participants learn to see familiar materials differently, uncovering creative possibilities in objects that have reached the end of their intended use. Through creative experimentation, the project explores material lifecycles and speculates on circular reuse and design strategies to inform a more sustainable future.
SHOE STORIES
Annalise’s Bared Shoes
From a Brunswick teacher's worn-out Bared sneakers to the centrepiece of a footwear circularity exhibition in 2026, Annalise's shoes chart the evolution of the 'This is Not a Shoe' project. Rescued from hard rubbish in 2023, deconstructed into artwork by Alexandra Sherlock for Melbourne Fashion Week, 2025, and transformed into wearable accessories by contemporary jeweller Pennie Jagiello for the 2026 PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival Independent Program, these gold sneakers embody the project's core belief: circularity is a pathway to creativity and innovation, not shame.
Alex’s Chicago Sneakers
Purchased in Chicago in 2017 during a return visit to the city where Alexandra Sherlock and her husband reconnected after a decade apart, these Rag & Bone metallic sneakers mark a significant moment: she was 20 weeks pregnant with their first child. As a footwear researcher troubled by the toxic processes behind metallic leather finishes, she transformed them into a functional phone pouch, ensuring the shoes have a longer, more useful afterlife beyond their original purpose.
More Information:
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![Hands swapping shoes across a table]()
Workshop Guide
Freely available resources to run the ‘This is not a shoe’ workshop as an activity or assessment.
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![Three pictures of a deconstructed Vans sneaker remade into a body harness, worn on a body and styled on a dressmaker's mannequin.]()
The Affordances of Affordance Theory for Sustainable Pedagogies Research Project
Find out more about the original research project, which evolved from Dr. Alexandra Sherlock’s doctoral research to inform the scholarship of learning and teaching.
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![A black and white flat-lay picture of a deconstructed Adidas Superstar sneaker.]()
Sneaker Deconstruction as Project-Based Learning
Read about the delivery of the ‘This is not a shoe’ workshop to sixth-form college students as a project-based learning activity.
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![A beige canvas shoe deconstructed and remade as a decorative collar, styled on a dressmaker's mannequin with a white T-shirt with a fluro pink slogan.]()
This is Not a Shoe overview
Access the This is Not a Shoe research outcomes, including a recorded presentation of a 2022 research paper for the International Foundation of Fashion Technology Institutes (IFFTI) Conference at Nottingham Trent University.
