Children’s feet grow quickly – as does the mountain of discarded shoes. «NEUNOI», a sneaker for children aged six to ten, is available by flexible subscription and is designed to be repaired. Its appearance constantly evolves, so the sneaker becomes «noi» again (phonetic for «neu», i.e. new) in a playful way. The sole made from KOURI material is biodegradable and recyclable. Together with the moulded insole, it is replaced after each use cycle, to ensure an ergonomically safe transfer of the footwear to the next child. The replacement of specific parts is only one of the repair strategies which characterize NEUNOI shoes. The short product life of many products is not NEUNOI’s style. The design of the sneaker is geared towards efficient repair, has been created for and with children, evolves constantly, differs with each shoe and supports the careful treatment of our resources. The sharing carries on as the critical parts are replaced and damage is repaired or also replaced – in both cases very efficiently so. Depending on the damage, a NEUNOI sneaker evolves differently and continually becomes more colourful and detailed. Each time a sneaker is handed back, we ask the child to tells us briefly in writing what they experienced with it, where they went with it, etc. The stories are displayed in the web store next to the respective model.
«The sneaker rent and repair concept «NEUNOI» is impressive both in terms of concept and execution. Its business model is based on a local cycle with a designated repair shop and makes sustainability a central objective all the way, including sole abrasion that does not harm the environment, comprehensive product revaluation through repairs, insole optimization through air vents for a more comfortable wearing experience and a matching digital presence as a marketing tool to increase the coolness of the brand – everything is in place.» – Excerpt from the supporting statement of the Subject Area Industrial Design
«The «NEUNOI» sneaker is a new concept for an everyday product, which has been designed as a circular model. It allows efficient repairs, creates microplastic that does not harm the environment, and minimizes waste.» – Thibaut Wenger & Narada Zürrer
«I would like to continue working in the areas of our Bachelor’s project, with a focus on sustainability, new materials, repair concepts and knowledge transfer.» – Thibaut Wenger
«I can picture myself doing all sorts of things – the more meaningful, the better.» - Narada Zürrer
