Bake your own cork and algae slippers

In Portugal, designer Giestas has conceived an interesting new paradigm in footwear: biobased slippers that you “bake” at home. Dubbed Baking Vegan Slippers, the concept includes steps to turn your kitchen into a shoe factory. The “recipe” uses algae-based vegan ingredients and requires only everyday kitchen utensils. Specifically, the design uses algae-based thickener alginate for the top of the slipper, dyed using saffron or black tea, and a sole made from ground cork and agar.

According to a DIY submission feature on designboom, Giestas guides viewers in a series of YouTube videos through each process step, from mixing the materials to shaping the final product.