VUB and La Monnaie/De Munt unveil world-first shoe made entirely from pure mycelium at Milan Design Week
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
A prototype shoe made entirely from pure mycelium, the root-like network of fungi, will debut at Milan Design Week. The project is a collaboration between researcher and designer Lars Dittrich of Vrije Universiteit Brussel and head shoemaker Marie De Ryck at La Monnaie/De Munt. It reframes how living materials enter application, moving beyond substitution toward a model in which design mediates between advanced biomaterials research and the demands of traditional craft.
The innovation moves beyond mycelium as a surface material or leather substitute toward its use as a structural component. The pure mycelium sole achieves load-bearing capacity without reinforcement by bonding mycelium sheets into a single, dense construction.
The project builds on fungal materials research by the Microbiology Research Group, led by Prof. Eveline Peeters and Prof. Elise Vanden Elsacker. It forms part of the FWO-funded MycoMatters programme, which develops pure mycelium materials with the performance and scalability required for real-world applications.
Engineering a Living Material
The team developed the shoe over two years through an iterative process that balanced the microorganism’s natural growth with targeted material performance. The key challenge was translating a material grown in flat sheets into a three-dimensional, load-bearing sole. To meet the demands of shoemaking, Lars Dittrich selected two fungal strains with distinct properties: one enables the growth of a foam-like, mouldable material for the sole, while the other produces a more elastic, leather-like sheet for the upper.
Design Mediates Between Tradition and Material Innovation
Biology and craft meet in a process that translates biological growth into form. The collaboration revisits traditional shoemaking and adapts leather sole lamination to work with mycelium on its own terms. The boot follows this logic, built in layers with a robust silhouette that keeps thickness and construction visible. Exposed seams and layered edges work with irregularities, articulating the material’s character.
“This is a conceptual object intended to frame what is currently possible with the material,” says designer Lars Dittrich. “It reflects the state of the art of our research, addressing how we grow and craft this material, made from a microorganism, into a functional three-dimensional form.”
Marie De Ryck, head shoemaker at La Monnaie/De Munt added: "While the initial material samples posed a real challenge and did not immediately meet the technical requirements of a complex shoe construction, the progress we have made is truly inspiring. By integrating the artisanal heritage of La Monnaie/De Munt with this advanced biotechnology, and by feeding our practical experience back into the lab, we have taken a significant step forward in making bio-fabricated footwear a functional reality. This constant drive to evolve our craft lies at the heart of our ‘Green Opera’ strategy. We are continuously seeking innovations that can help ensure a sustainable future for the arts."
Experience the Bio-Lab at Drop City
The prototype will be showcased at Dropcity, the Centre for Architecture and Design located within the iconic tunnels of Milan’s Central Railway Station. The exhibition aims to make the science behind the shoe tangible for the public, mirroring the state-of-the-art research conducted at the VUB.
The exhibition space recreates a working laboratory environment, revealing the processes behind the material’s growth, from initial cultures to production. It offers a rare view into the intersection of biology and fashion.
No comments:
Post a Comment