How to plant seeds with your shoes

Imagine helping nature restore itself simply by going for a run. In a fusion of fashion and conservation, London-based designer Kiki Grammatopoulos has introduced her concept Rewild the Run. The Central Saint Martins student was inspired by her desire to reconnect with nature in the bustling city of London. By replicating the hooves of animals like bison, she hopes to help maintain urban ecosystems with a shoe cover for humans.

Rewild the Run is a collaborative project between Kiki Grammatopoulos and a London running group called Run the Boroughs. Their decision to explore nature as a source of inspiration for improving London's urban ecosystem led them to the discovery that seeds cling to the fur of wild animals, allowing plants to extend their reach.

Especially the bison takes an important role: the large, might animals loosen up soil with their hooves, helping seeds to sprout and grow. When we closely study nature's mechanisms, we refer to it as biomimicry. Grammatopoulos hopes that her creation will similarly contribute to the rewilding process, allowing nature to flourish with minimal human intervention in urban environments.

Since importing wild bison into London was out of the question, Grammatopoulos tried mimicking this symbiotic process in the shape of a 3D-printed shoe cover. The shoe cover is designed to be worn over regular sneakers and is embellished with tiny loops that replicate the manner in which certain seeds cling to the fur of wild creatures. When worn during a run, these shoes can pick up seeds and dirt, spreading them around to help nature recover without needing as much human assistance.

Rewild the Run is an exciting exploration of how human movement can play a role in creating more resilient urban environments. It offers a glimpse into the future of sustainable fashion and urban rewilding.