METAMORPHOSIS AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE LEAF BOOTS

One of our iconic, ever evolving styles is the leaf inspired series. We made the first pair of leaf shoes, titled “The Prince of Autumn Leaves” back in 1994 after receiving an Arts Qld grant. This resulted in an exhibition of footwear called “Metamorphosis” which allowed us to explore the shoe as an art form more freely. The leaf shoes were made from kangaroo hide and were embossed and hand painted. They are now in the Powerhouse museum in Sydney.

We continue to explore the leaf as a part of a shoe today. One of our more recent designs is the Elvish leaf booties. If you imagine an elf or faerie making their shoes out of leaves by wrapping them around their feet, you get the Elvish leaf booties. When buckled up the straps feature the Tolkien phrase “Not all those who wander are lost”.

The metamorphosis exhibition also included pieces representing the evolution of the shoe, a fantasy version of the stages of an insect: caterpillar, chrysalis, adult, death or shedding of skin like a cicada, and the new creature rising from the ashes like a phoenix.