Can’t find a couch to surf? Too broke for Air BNB? No need to cancel your travel plans, just lace up a pair of Walking-Shelter sneakers and hit the road. Reminiscent of the the raft skirt, your feet will attract the same double-takes as shoes designed by Israeli Kobi Levi, but the bulging form of these kicks contain a practical function: they double as a tent.
Stuffed inside integrated net pockets within the shoe, the lightweight shelter expands out and around the body to form an enclosure that relies on the human body to serve as its structural support.
The shelter can be customized to adapt to a variety of contexts and environments. Wrap it around your body for protection from wind, sun, sand, and rain. Use it as ground protection beneath your sleeping bag. Or string it up as a traditional tarp.
This portable shelter project was developed by Australian design company Sibling as a conceptual prototype for shoe company Gorman. A one-off sample was included as part of an auction to benefit the children’s arts charity Little Seeds Big Trees.
Not recommended for the claustrophobic, and with no bottom, it provides ineffective shelter on wet terrain or in buggy sites. Given my enormous (US women’s) size 10 feet, I think my normal shoes offer better emergency housing.
