Author Description

What makes Catherine Willems work on future footwear so appealing is its promise to leapfrog more than 150 years of industrialization, with all its attendant afflictions - environmental destruction, depletion of natural resources, extreme global inequality - and bring us straight into a cleaner and fairer future, while taking cues from ancient knowledge and craft. The research brings three disparate fields together: traditional footwear in very different indigenous cultures (Kolhapuri in India, Sami in Finland, and Ju|hoansi in Namibia), the biomechanics of the human foot, and advanced technology for 3D measuring and printing. The depth and seriousness of the exploration in each field results in a richness of data and information which has only just started to yield its first outcomes. -- Christine De Baan In this new book presenting cobblers from India, Finland, Belgium, the UK, and Namibia, Els Roelandt and Catherine Willems present a refreshing and much-needed vision on anthropology, craftmanship, and design, clearly depicting the integrated roles of artisans, scientists, and industry partners. -- Rik Pinxten