Zaha Hadid, in collaboration with contemporary footwear brand United Nude’s creative director Rem D Koolhaas, designed a sculptural cantilever system that allows for an unsupported 16 cm heel. Rotation-moulding made possible a shoe in which upper, sole and heel appear seamlessly united. On closer inspection, the outer shell alone is rubber and is integrated with an individually constructed slipper, which is created in a conventional way to contain the foot. The hidden platform and heel are made from fibreglass.
The footwear brand United Nude, founded by Dutch architect Rem D Koolhaas and Galahad Clark, has been experimenting with technically advanced and architectural shoes since its inception in 2003. Iraqi-born Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid, DBE is London-trained and based architect. She founded her practice in 1990 and her works are characterised by bold, visionary forms. Her seminal buildings include the London Olympic Aquatics Centre (2012), the Maxxi Museum in Rome (2010), and the Rosenthal Centre for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati (2003). Hadid won the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2010 and 2011. Hadid has also experimented with fashion and has designed products such as the Icone Bag for Louis Vuitton and shoe lines for Brazilian shoe brand Melissa and French brand Lacoste.