O° Shoe
OXMAN, a design lab from Neri Oxman, the wife of billionaire investor Bill Ackman and a former M.I.T. professor, dedicated to nature-centric innovation, has introduced O°, what the firm calls a groundbreaking platform that harnesses biomaterial, digital, and robotic technologies. This platform empowers the creation of 100% biodegradable textiles and wearables, crafted entirely from organic materials without any reliance on petrochemicals or harmful adhesives.
A key advantage of O° is its ability to simplify complex manufacturing processes. By utilizing a single material and minimal human intervention, it achieves near-zero waste production. The inaugural product to emerge from this platform is a collection of shoes made entirely from polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a sustainable and biodegradable organic material.
OXMAN also said it is is initiating discussions with potential partners, investors, and brand collaborators to bring the production of O° shoes and textiles to scale and to market. We look forward to hearing from you.
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PHAs can be produced by bacteria that consume atmospheric carbon dioxide, methane, and/or food waste, reducing carbon in the environment as they grow. They are biologically recyclable, and 100% biodegradable in ambient conditions. As a result, O° textiles and shoes do not leave behind microplastics when they decompose. O° textiles and shoes are made entirely of PHAs, so when they decompose they become one with the environment, returning to the bacteria from which they originated. However, just like traditional biodegradable materials used for apparel such as cotton, wool, and silk, PHA will not biodegrade while being worn, washed, or stored.
A compact robotic system is central to the O° platform: the O° robotic system 3D prints custom PHA blends onto a textile that is 3D knitted on an industrial flatbed machine from a 100% PHA yarn produced through a process of extrusion and melt spinning. By using this knitting and printing technology to create shape and movement, OXMAN has eliminated the cut-and-sew and adhesion processes associated with traditional shoe assembly. The O° technology offers a near zero-waste production process and requires minimal human involvement and intervention, enabling local, low-cost production, minimizing the transport cost and environmental impact of the distant supply chains typical of the shoe industry.
“PHAs have long been recognized as a promising alternative to petroleum-based plastics,” noted Neri Oxman, CEO and Founder of OXMAN. “We have successfully elevated the potential of PHA through the development of O°, a new technology for the design and fabrication of products that seeks to minimize harm in its conception and nourish the environment in its afterlife. We are thrilled to unveil our first product using this new technology: the O° shoe, which is made using 100% PHA, is 100% biodegradable, and has no petrochemicals or microplastics.”
Neri Oxman is an Israeli-American designer and professor known for art and architecture that combines design, biology, computing, and materials engineering. She coined the phrase “material ecology” to define her work. She was born in Haifa, Israel, in 1976. She studied architecture at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Technion University – Israel Institute of Technology. She then moved to the UK to study at the London Institute of Architecture, where she received a master’s degree in design.
Oxman began her career at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she received her PhD in computational design. At MIT, she founded the Mediated Matter research group, which focuses on developing new materials and structures by combining design, biology, and engineering.
Oxman’s work has been featured in exhibitions at museums and galleries around the world. She has received many awards for her work, including the National Design Award, the Vilcek Award for Design, and MIT’s Collier Medal.
Neri Oxman is a pioneer in the field of material ecology. Her work is helping open up new possibilities for design and architecture. She is creating new materials and structures that can help us build a more sustainable world.
