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FOLDS: Modular Footwear.

FOLDS: Modular Footwear.

Winner of the Imperial College DESIRE Award for most innovative design.


Blending origami-inspired geometry with functional footwear, FOLDS combines three shoe silhouettes (high-, med- and low-top) in one.

Single-sheet construction delivers a sustainable and cost-conscious solution.

Winner of the Imperial College DESIRE Award for most innovative design.


Blending origami-inspired geometry with functional footwear, FOLDS combines three shoe silhouettes (high-, med- and low-top) in one.

Single-sheet construction delivers a sustainable and cost-conscious solution.

< 5%

of shoes are recycled

< 5%

of shoes are recycled

66,600,000

pairs of shoes made everyday

66,600,000

pairs of shoes made everyday

22,000,000,000

pairs of shoes thrown into landfill each year

22,000,000,000

pairs of shoes thrown into landfill each year

How can we reduce the number of different shoes that people need to buy to reduce the accumulation of unused shoes, and limit material consumption?

Initial Scoping.

User Research \ Market Analysis \ Initial Ideation

Individual Development

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Concept Development.

7 stages of iterative prototyping and design

Concept Development.

7 stages of iterative prototyping and design

concept sketches

Through 7 iterative stages, the concept evolved through materials, from rough volumetric studies to functional wearable models. Each phase tested user proportion, fastening systems, and flexibility, allowing progressive refinement of fit, structure, and material efficiency.

v1-v6: low-high fid prototypes

Shoe net refinements to optimise material efficiency while maintaining fit and structural balance

FOLDS: Modular Footwear.

Winner of the Imperial College DESIRE Award for most innovative design.


Blending origami-inspired geometry with functional footwear, FOLDS combines three shoe silhouettes (high-, med- and low-top) in one.

Single-sheet construction delivers a sustainable and cost-conscious solution.

Final Concept.

Casually walking in Low-Top

Changing to Mid-Top

Running in High-Top