For his first footwear design, architect Kengo Kuma has created a trainer in collaboration with Japanese sports brand Asics that draws on the craft of bamboo knitting.The shoe's Nike Air Max 270 Womens upper consists of a slip-on mono-sock, overlaid with a criss-crossing pattern of clean, white strips.It mimics the way that a supple material like bamboo is interlocked in the traditional Nike Air Max 97 Womens technique of bamboo knitting – or yatara ami – to create a solid structure.Made Nike Air Max 90 Womens from recycled polyester, the lines are placed strategically to stabilise the foot, while also Nike Air Max 90 Womens converging to form the Asics logo on the sides of the shoe."I was captivated by the fact that cellulose nanofibres are used in the midsole foam," he explained.

"This is a fibre material derived from wood. It was a great approach — this material combines the contradictory functions of Nike Air Max 90 Femme superior cushioning and durability."In this way, it imitates bamboo's ability to be Nike Air Vapormax Womens both hard and soft at the same time."Originally, Japanese culture was based on 'connecting lines'," said Nike Air Max 95 Donne Kuma. "A single line is weak, but bundle of lines in aggregate is strong. An approach to yatara ami combining delicacy and functionality works well with modern designs."The shoe is named the Metaride Nike Air Max 720 Damen AMU, based on Asics' classic Metaride shape which curves up towards the Nike Air Max 270 Femme toes to prevent excessive bending of the ankles and reduce energy consumption.

A tan midsole Nike Internationalist Womens breaks up the otherwise monochromatic shoe – its colour derived from the natural fibres the material is made with. These are usually dyed, but were left uncoloured at Kuma's request.For Kuma, switching from architecture to footwear design was not as big a leap as it might first appear."When we design a building, we work while analysing how people move and feel. It is Nike Air Max 90 Mujer Negras no different from ergonomically designed shoes," he explained."One of the major themes in my architecture Nike Air Vapormax Damen is how people and the earth connect. For me, I feel uncomfortable when people are separated from the earth by architecture, and I think people remember Adidas ZX 850 Mujer their peace of mind when they connect with the earth. In terms of that connection, I felt sneakers had more possibilities Nike Air Vapormax Mujer than architecture."