Elon Musk and Grimes’ baby shoes are a product of zero-waste footwear that is more than a fashion statement.
Baby X Æ A-XII got something just as special and unique as his name from his parents: a pair of zero-waste vegan shoes. Because something as simple as a toy truck wasn’t going to cut it. Designed by the Paris-based Rombaut in collaboration with Brooklyn-based Zellerfeld (a 3D printing footwear company), the shoes have a distinct style. If it reminds you of Tesla’s Cybertruck, well that’s where they got their inspiration.
“Ten years ago I said, ‘In the future people will print their own shoes,’ and it’s super exciting to live in the future right now!” Rombaut exclaims in his recent interview with Vogue.
The shoes look futuristic with a chunky sole and a Velcro to fasten. The letters X Æ A-XII are symmetrically stamped across the Velcro top. While talking to Vogue, Mats Rombaut expressed his admiration for Grimes, Elon Musk, and the endeavors of Musk. So the Elon Musk and Grimes’ baby shoe project did not happen at the spur of the moment.
Rombaut told Vogue, “I have been really a fan of each [of them], so it was both worlds that were merging when they were having a baby,” says Rombaut over the phone from Paris. “Since they announced her pregnancy, I was dreaming of making a shoe for the baby, because it is the representation of the future and hope.”
Last year Grimes bought Rombaut’s sustainable footwear, cowboy sneakers, and boots designed from apple leather after she discovered Rombaut on Instagram. It seems that the admiration is mutual.
The shoes use 100% recyclable polymer and a Monolith 3D printer with no traces of stitches or glue that are usually a part of conventional footwear design.
Rombaut explained the design process saying, “I love the whole ethos behind Tesla, and this design speaks to me the most so far. I love the angular and triangular shapes. We couldn’t go as radical because the shape inside needs to hug the foot and be comfy.”
What do you think of these shoes? Have you bought your zero-waste footwear yet? Tell us in the comment section below.