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Here Are The World’s Most Extraordinary Shoe Designs, Shared On Virtual Shoe Museum By Liza Snook (30 Pics)
Interview
From killer high heels to Adidas sneakers with teeth dentures as the sole, in a Virtual Shoe Museum run by Liza Snook, you can find all sorts of footwear beyond your imagination.
As Liza shared in an interview with Bored Panda, her journey as a shoe curator and collector started while studying graphic design at the Royal Academy in The Hague in the 1980s. She shared: "I have been collecting almost everything related to shoes. (Wearable) shoes found during traveling completed with books, postcards, articles, and ‘shoevenirs’. "
So without further ado, we invite you to delve into the gallery of the most exciting shoe designs by various designers, and for the full interview with Liza, read down below.
More info: VirtualShoeMuseum.com | Instagram | twitter.com
This post may include affiliate links.
Liza Snook, (shoe) curator, collector & connector based in the Netherlands, continued to share the origin story of Virtual Shoe Museum and her involvement with shoe designers: “To capture and share my passion, I created the website VirtualShoeMuseum.com in 2004 together with my partner and interaction designer Taco Zwaanswijk (Stainless Media). Besides that, I have been working as an image editor for the yearly shoe calendars of Workman Publishers New York since 2008. I also judge at various design schools in the Netherlands and abroad, give lectures, and help young designers to kick-start their careers. From the digital collection, I started to create and organize exhibitions about shoes in art and design, in collaboration with various museums, galleries, and events around the world.”
“VirtualShoeMuseum.com is a digital platform for shoe enthusiasts and professionals, where you can search for shoes by designer, color, type, or material. On the homepage, you will find a shoe of the day, a list of upcoming shoe exhibitions, and a blog. You can find an extensive choice of shoes: wearable shoes, paintings, sculptures, illustrations, or videos. There is a big section of shoes in the 'material' menu where you can find designs made of leather, textile, 3D-printed, jellyfish, glass, sugar, blood, denim, seaweed, and many more.”
#2
"Mixed media sculpture, inspired by Cephalopods, 2015.
A cephalopod is any member of the molluscan class Cephalopoda such as a squid, octopus, cuttlefish, or nautilus. These exclusively marine animals are characterized by bilateral body symmetry, a prominent head, and a set of arms or tentacles modified from the primitive molluscan foot.
Material: Resin and plastic mixed with powdered corals and pulverized branches.
Photo by Charlotte Visser and Museum Lichtenwalde, model Elisabeth Thorsen."
#3
"Two different coloured leather slip on shoes with metallic silver upper, 2023.
Inspired by ‘Acrylic pour painting’, a painting method created by using acrylic paint to pour on a surface to create a flowing design.
© Kobi Levi Design"
Besides the website, Liza also curates real-life shoe exhibitions. She wrote: “In 2009 I started with a 10 'real' shoes booth at the GDS shoe fair in Düsseldorf, Germany, which expanded in the following years with more shoes and continued in Dongguang, China. In 2013, the exhibition 'Starker Auftritt – Experimental Shoe Design', consisting of 120 experimental shoes, was on show at the Grassi Museum for Applied Arts in Leipzig, Germany. This exhibition was the start of years of worldwide exhibitions: ‘SHOEting Stars’ and ‘Shoes in Senses’ in Austria, ‘Shoe Show’ in Kuwait and UAE, ‘HIGH HEELS’ in Germany, ‘Shoe Magic’ in Hungary, and ‘SHOETOPIA’ in the USA, amongst many others. On the show this year: ‘Shoe Fantasies’ in Pécz, Hungary, and from September participating in ‘Death and the Devil’ in Düsseldorf, Germany.”
#4
"Wooden carved crocs clogs, 2022.
The only, durable non-plastic, crocs Dutch people need!
© Ruben Lekkerkerker."
#5
"Open toe boot. Inspired by IKEA’s iconic large blue FRAKTA shopping bag, 2017.
Materials: recycled shopping bag, the handles are transformed into a graceful bow on the instep.
@ Hideki Sato"
As you have already noticed, most of the designs are not the peak comfort for your feet, and some are just sculptures of shoes, rather than footwear. We asked Liza to share her look on design choices that prioritize aesthetics over practicality. “In our collection, you will find many shoes that prioritize aesthetics over practicality; the category ‘experimental’ is by far the largest. With the developments of the techniques like 3D printing and AI, this will only grow. I find it very interesting when you have to look twice to see if it is a shoe when the shoe shapes don’t follow the foot shape…”
#6
"Part of the graduation collection ‘Psychedelic Dreams’, 4 pairs of shoes, 4th-year SASK, d’Academie Beeld Sint-Niklaas in Belgium, 2022.
Marbled leather sandal with transparent gaiter and layered acrylic platform sole.
Photo by Hessel Waalewijn."
#7
"Part of the LCF graduation collection, consisting of six pairs of shoes, 2023.
This collection comes out of Ying’s fear and unease about the loss of physical human contact in public space in this era, leading to a rigidity of self-consciousness. As the development of digital technology and the repeated ravages of the epidemic have exacerbated the disconnection between the body and the physical world, new fields of perception have affected our social systems and habits and have changed the way we perceive the world, which are key elements in the construction of self-identity.
This collection explores the unconscious and unusual interaction between the most obvious objects that have lost their connection in public space – railings or handrails – and the body, experiencing their different mental space sensations. In doing so, it explores new forms of footwear and attempts to evoke human communication and perception with objects in public space and to consider their intimate relationship with each other. And looking for breakthroughs in metal, two-tone leather and 3D printing.
Photograph by Anson Shen."
Lyone Fein 1 year ago
Finally. Something actually new that really works as a shoe and also is great visually.
Liza shared how she strikes a balance between artistic expression and functional design in the footwear collections she curates: “The range of shoes is very wide. Some approach it from the perspective of construction and expression, others from the study of materials and technique. The multifaceted potential of shoes as a creative medium is reflected not only in the shoes themselves but also in installations, photographs, and videos. I try to show shoes that are unique works of art and shoes that make a statement or have a function like planting seeds, feeding birds, transforming from sneakers to slippers, or are made/re-made from waste materials. From the large database, I can make selections per topic.”
#8
"Leather and needlepoint ankle boot with metal brace and calf cuff, 2021
Photo by Ole Ingar Apalnes."
#9
"Mirror-finish laser-cut boot with Takashi Murakami smiling daisies appliqué, first-year SASK, d’Academie Beeld Sint-Niklaas in Belgium, 2019.
Drawing from traditional Japanese painting, sci-fi, anime, and the global art market, Takashi Murakami creates paintings, sculptures, and films populated by repeated motifs and mutating characters of his own creation. His wide-ranging work embodies an intersection of pop culture, history, and fine art.
Photo by Charlotte Visser."
We asked Liza to tell us more about a few of the designers that interested her in their approach. She wrote: “It is very hard to pick shoe examples from the Virtual Shoe Museum because every shoe on the website has its own quality, technique, novel material, or story, so I selected a few different shoe projects to highlight. Sometimes you have to look twice and sometimes projects touch you.”
“First one is Joyce de Gruiter (NL). She has been fascinated by high heels since her childhood. As a child, she was enamored with her mother’s Chanel shoes. Joyce knows that life is simply too boring with unwieldy footwear, something that every woman (and man) understands. She transformed women's and men's shoes into a glamourous contemporary statement, a fetish object, a deadly weapon, an architectural tower, and in all the iterations, an object of high artistic expression.”
“Then there is Rémi Vergnanini (B), who is a model, costume designer, and shoemaker based in Belgium. Currently studying at d’ Academie Beeld Sint-Niklaas (former SASK) in Belgium.”
#10
"Construction shoe made of recycled plexiglass with leather straps and a quilted rainbow fabric sockshoe, 2020
Photo by Charlotte Visser."
#11
"Part of the London College of Fashion graduation collection ‘Gaint-baby’, 6 pairs of leather shoes with squidgy padded loops, 2023.
Lui: ‘A shoe collection of fashionable footwear. Each pair corresponds to a giant-baby characteristic. Bright colours and decorative lines, my design language to break up the black and white of the adult world. I hope that I can amplify the cuteness of childishness through my designs and help adults to enjoy the positive side of children’s culture.
I am an only-child under China’s one-child policy. Most of my peers, like me, are also only-children. The whole family dotes on a child, and the over-protection leads to the immaturity of many only-children’s minds in adulthood. If possible, I would like to call us ‘gaint-baby’. What is gain-baby? Literally, gain-baby refers to a huge baby. But in fact it refers to adults who are mentally stuck in the child stage.
As a group of people who don’t want to grow up, gaint-baby’s have their own new outlook on life. They are unwilling to force themselves to be mature and follow the mainstream. They are eager to return to the world of children, enjoy fantasy and try to have fun in life.’
© Lyujie Liu."
“The third one is Jo Cope (UK), a female artist and conceptual craftswoman who has been pushing the formal boundaries of fashion for almost two decades. Jo’s interest is in creating a new role for fashion, creating socially active and highly crafted vessels, that can exist and communicate both on and off the body.”
“And last but not least: Shanshan Yang (China), who graduated in footwear design from the London College of Fashion in 2023.”
#12
"Large swirling motif leather two-colored pumps with a dainty heel, made to order, 2021.
A series of imaging extended antennas to spread one’s personality from the toes of the shoe.
Available in three two-color variations.
© VERO TWIQO"
#13
"Haverman creates shoes out of curiosity and her only starting point is that the shoe should be wearable, 2022.
Every step in the creative process is a choice for Joseline in what is possible. This design is an extreme expression of that process. Designed at the René van den Berg Academy, The Netherlands.
Material: leather and wood.
Photo by Charlotte Visser."
Liza shared her hopes on what she would like for people to take away from this collection of shoes. “I hope to share my passion for shoes in art and design and to promote the work of so many talents in various fields of art and design. So be amazed by the wide variety of shoes that make you wonder, think, and smile.”
And lastly, she added: “The start of this platform has brought me so much new inspiration, friendships, amazing adventures, and opportunities… shoe people are nice people.”
#14
"Part of the graduation collection ‘SHOETRIBE’, 5 pairs of shoes, 4th-year SASK, d’Academie Beeld Sint-Niklaas in Belgium, 2020.
This collection is based on ethnic masks from different population groups from all over the world. The masks are interpreted in a graphical way, based on a striped pattern inspired by optical black-and-white illusions.
The 5 shoe pairs are based on 3 different lasts: pointed – squared – round. These shapes enhance the expression and graphics of the design. The graphic forms overflow into the heel. The sleek architectural heel is a basic part in the collection, with different layers of EVA, (un)coated, or inlaid with pearls. The color palette and the contrasting of (bright) areas of color are inspired by the paintings of Joan Miró.
Material: patent leather (inlay marquetry technique), EVA and pearls.
Photo by Charlotte Visser."
#15
"Project by Tran Ngoc Yen for the Faculty of Multimedia Communications, Shoe Design Studio, 2017.
Material: leather, wood and a red apple.
Snow White is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection Grimms’ Fairy Tales. The name Sneewittchen was Low German and in the first version it was translated with Schneeweißchen. The Grimms completed their final revision of the story in 1854. The fairy tale features such elements as the magic mirror, the poisoned apple, the glass coffin, and the characters of the evil queen and the Seven Dwarfs.
© Tomas Bata University ZlÌn, photo Barbara Zaťková."
#16
"Unique work, wearable shoes and mixed media, 2023.
Part of the collection Pink! Punk! Pop! Only the color is suitable for Barbie and Ken. The rest of the cake is for the dare-devils. But I strongly advise: only Look and do not Touch!
One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small.
And the ones that mother gives you, don’t do anything at all.
Go ask Alice, when she’s ten feet tall.
Soundtrack: White Rabbit, Jefferson Airplane.
Photo by Bas Duijs."
#19
"Unique handmade shoes, 2015.
Material: wood, leather, and metal.
© Into Into"
#20
"Crackle patent sandal with yolk colour details and chrome casted ‘Egg Cup’ wedge, part of the LCF graduation collection ‘Evolution to Absurdity’, 2023.
The only thing that seems to make sense these days is an overarching lack of sense: an absurd form of sense.
Photo by Daniel Charkow."
#21
"Part of the collection ‘Nomads, 4 pairs of shoes, 3rd year SASK, d’Academie Beeld Sint-Niklaas in Belgium, 2022.
High-shaft decorated fabric elevated platforms with decorated leg garters and a metal pendulum at the heel.
A collection inspired by Mongolian traditional ethnic embroidered garments.
Photo by Hessel Waalewijn."
#22
"Hand-painted boots, 2015.
Material: vegetable tanned leather, leather and pressed board mid-sole, cheesecloth, steel, hand-shaped wood platforms, nails, natural glue and zippers.
© Chris Francis, photo by Noel Bass"
#23
"Part of the graduation collection ‘SPLIT’, 5 pairs of shoes, 4th year SASK Shoe Design, 2020.
A collection that a resemblances my duality, my inner and outer life. On one hand rebellious and on the other hand a girly-girly who secretly hopes to live in pink Barbie’s dream home one day. This is visible in the shapes of the heel, which has both hard and soft lines.
Material: lace, satin fabric, glitter and casted heel.
Photo by Charlotte Visser."
#24
"This footwear is a commentary on the position of women and girls in our contemporary society, 2023.
It is a sad truth that in recent years the progress of women’s equality has slowed down, and in multiple countries even regressed. This work addresses the idea of the confinement of one gender. Aiming to keep them ‘in their place’ and subsequently out of power. The design reflects that feeling of control. From the pristine, curvy back to the elongated nose, which is a nod to the straitjacket, it hints to restraining and pacifying women. The laces, asymmetrically tied, add a feeling of insanity.
Photo by Shay Ben-Efraim."
#25
"Leather toe-knob sandals with embroidered terry cloth straps and a foam sphere heel, 2022.
Part of the collection ‘Rox, you’re on mute!’, 3 pairs of shoes, 2nd year SASK, d’Academie Beeld Sint-Niklaas in Belgium.
Inspired by working from home due to Covid. Lieckens: ‘When I choose a theme, I usually end up with something from my living environment. This theme represents something that we have all had to deal with, rather involuntarily, to work from home. To visualise this I combined elements that represent domestic objects with one that represents something businesslike. And I used contrasts. Working from home is actually a contradiction in terms, so I combined hard and soft materials, glossy and matte, white and blue. Bathrobe/computer, headphone/comforter, tea cup/tea bag.’
Photo Hessel Waalewijn."
#26
"This collection comes out of Ying’s fear and unease about the loss of physical human contact in public space in this era, leading to a rigidity of self-consciousness. As the development of digital technology and the repeated ravages of the epidemic have exacerbated the disconnection between the body and the physical world, new fields of perception have affected our social systems and habits and have changed the way we perceive the world, which are key elements in the construction of self-identity.
This collection explores the unconscious and unusual interaction between the most obvious objects that have lost their connection in public space – railings or handrails – and the body, experiencing their different mental space sensations. In doing so, it explores new forms of footwear and attempts to evoke human communication and perception with objects in public space and to consider their intimate relationship with each other. And looking for breakthroughs in metal, two-tone leather and 3D printing.
Photograph by Anson Shen."
#27
"Collection, 2015.
Material: metal and vegetable-tanned Italian leather.
© WXY Brand"
#28
"The first sculpture of my ‘OH. MY. EVOLUTION’ collection, 2017.
This shoe-inspired collection is based upon shoe designs I have made over the past 25 years.
Material: carbon fiber and PU hard foam with a medial side that resembles the foot while the lateral side has no relation to a shoe at all.
Lateral thinking is solving problems through an indirect and creative approach, using reasoning that is not immediately obvious and involving ideas that may not be obtainable by using only traditional step-by-step logic. The term was promulgated in 1967 by Edward de Bono.
© René van den Berg"
#29
"Gold leather balanced boat-shaped platform mules, part of the ‘Muscle Memory’ collection, 2012-2013.
Memories are written throughout our bodies. Inscribed on bones, stretched through tendons, embedded in muscle, our pasts are present in every movement we make. Having lost major portions of my long term memory, and struggling with a newly limited short term memory due to injuries in a car accident, the ‘Muscle Memory’ collection explores how experience and emotion can be recalled through physical sensation and movement.
© Amara Hark-Weber."
Danny Boy 1 year ago
LOL Yeah, I could totally see these performing basically just like snow shoes, as it spreads your weight out over a greater surface area. Cross-country skiing in style. ;-P I think a pair exactly like these, only with a tawny color and snowshoe netting around the sides, with the top ellipse edging finished with a thin fur-material sash and fur around the ankle, would be perfect for marketing to people for winter activities. Wouldn't those be cute?
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Kraneia The Dancing Dryad 1 year ago
Ironically, they're called balance.... Yet they look like bananas.... Don't slip!
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What do you think ?
Petra Schaap 1 year ago
i guess most were just art instead of meant to wear but it was interesting :-)
Tyranamar Seuss 1 year ago
I want to see some actually on. Not standing if they'll cause a broken ankle. But maybe sitting on a sofa.
Load More Replies...
DarkGlassSphere 1 year ago
There may be the beginning of the concept of the whole movie scenery in one shoe like that. And it may be very interesting to do so. Thanks for inspiration!
Rosie 1 year ago
Sculptures (even in shoe form) are meant to inspire feelings. These are just ugly, dangerous & uncomfortable, so I guess they inspire repulsion?
Barong 1 year ago (edited)
I would add these to this list. They aren't practical nor attractive imo but certainly...unique. https://www.vogue.com/article/fecal-matter-releases-photoshopped-skin-heels-for-real-life 0_You-can-...2ba4a8.jpg 
mysterious(all pronouns) 1 year ago
I think they're meant to be art pieces rather than functional or wearable footwear, but yes.
Load More Replies...
Cerridwn d'Wyse 1 year ago
I actually like these posts cuz they massively make me Snicker inside because some of them are so stupid. Now that one that looks like a funky Oxford that one is actually really cool I couldn't wear it but I could see people that could
Petra Schaap 1 year ago
i guess most were just art instead of meant to wear but it was interesting :-)
Tyranamar Seuss 1 year ago
I want to see some actually on. Not standing if they'll cause a broken ankle. But maybe sitting on a sofa.
Load More Replies... DarkGlassSphere 1 year ago
There may be the beginning of the concept of the whole movie scenery in one shoe like that. And it may be very interesting to do so. Thanks for inspiration!
Rosie 1 year ago
Sculptures (even in shoe form) are meant to inspire feelings. These are just ugly, dangerous & uncomfortable, so I guess they inspire repulsion?
Barong 1 year ago (edited)
I would add these to this list. They aren't practical nor attractive imo but certainly...unique. https://www.vogue.com/article/fecal-matter-releases-photoshopped-skin-heels-for-real-life 0_You-can-...2ba4a8.jpg
mysterious(all pronouns) 1 year ago
I think they're meant to be art pieces rather than functional or wearable footwear, but yes.
Load More Replies... Cerridwn d'Wyse 1 year ago
I actually like these posts cuz they massively make me Snicker inside because some of them are so stupid. Now that one that looks like a funky Oxford that one is actually really cool I couldn't wear it but I could see people that could
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