Recycling is important, but it can be hard to recycle something made out of a number of different materials such as a standard sneaker. That is precisely the reason why Ammo Liao has created the Bio-Knit shoe, which is made out of one kind of plastic and can be recycled as easily as a plastic bottle.
The shoe itself is woven and then heated to form the upper part of the shoe, with the inner being laser-etched and the sole of the shoe being 3D-printed. The heating is an important part of the creation of the shoe as it changes the physical properties of it.
Ammo Liao isn't the only one working on woven shoes, however. In fact, large firms like Adidas and Nike have been experimenting with knitted shoes in an attempt to save waste created during the shoe-manufacturing process. Knitting shoes can also help make them more comfortable. Liao, however, is so far the only one using the heating technique.
Liao uses a 3D knitting machine that is able to then treat the various parts as needed, stiffening the parts that need it and leaving the other parts to be softer. It's similar to cutting the end of a plastic rope and then sealing the end with a flame.
"Through textile biomimicry, single material can provide multiple functions, simultaneously displaying soft, flexible and robust textures. Creating one product completely without composites will dramatically reduce the recycling cost of current multi-material products," says Liao on his website.
Another interesting part about Liao's design and manufacturing is that he is one person, with competitors in the field of recyclable shoes being massive firms like Nike and Adidas. The concept could be expanded, however.
His shoes also have an interesting homemade vibe but are still very high-tech. Last but not least is the fact that Liao's shoes can be easily repaired if need be.
Liao's concept can also be applied to a number of other products. For example, on his website, he showcases a chair that is made with the same single material, with the legs that hold up the chair being hard and the backing flexible to allow for maximum back comfort. Another example is a bicycle helmet, which, of course, has the top part being hardened but the inside and straps soft, again for comfort.
Most important is the fact that all of these things are easily recycled. While these specific products might not make it to mass production, the idea is certainly a good one, and one that manufacturers should take note of.
Via: FastCoExist
