A 3D-printed outsole for shoes could help sow seeds on the run

Your trainers could be helping the environment: A chunky and funky 3D-printed outsole for running shoes could help fitness fanatics sow seeds and contribute to urban rewilding, CNN writes. The idea behind the spiky blue outsole dubbed “Rewild the Run” is for feet to transform into vessels for plants and seeds to help them spread across cities.

How it works: The loops are designed to imitate how some types of seeds attach themselves onto the fur of wild animals. The outsoles can pick up smaller seeds within dirt or larger ones during a run and help scatter them in different areas. The bottom of the outsole is also designed like the unique hoof of the bison, helping press down seeds into the ground along the way. The new sneakers come under efforts to help the environment restore itself with little human intervention.

The rationale: “Living in London, I felt very disconnected from our local environment and our nature,” Rewild the Run product designer Kiki Grammatopoulos told CNN. “So I started thinking about ways that I could replicate keystone species in London,” she said, adding “because obviously, I can’t really bring in bison or wolves into King’s Cross”.

The effort behind the inspiration: Grammatopoulos examined the cocklebur and the grapple plant (or devil’s claw) to inspire the design of the outsole. The first species is known for having inspired Velcro, a fastener system that is home to tiny hooks on one side and tiny looks on the order side. Grammatopoulos used the system during the early testing phase. “Before I did any 3D modeling, I’d cover my shoes in Velcro to just have a look at what my shoe would pick up and over what areas of the shoe,” she said.

There are some drawbacks: Such urban rewilding efforts could bring in unwanted guests, including encroaching weed species, geographer Stephen Carver told CNN. “It’s an interesting idea, but my first impression is that it’s a great way to spread non-native, invasive weed species,” Carver said. “How will these shoes distinguish between the seeds of native and non-native plant species?”