What might a one-piece sustainable lifestyle shoe made without stitched components or glue look like? I explored this prompt early in my time at New Balance as a personal project. I created a foldable origami-style upper that comes off the Stoll machine in one fully-fashioned piece. The wrap-around upper is attached to knitted-in tubes along the sole of the shoe that allow for customizable foam inserts to provide personalized support and comfort. Most shoes are constructed as a “monstrous hybrid” with numerous parts glued and stitched together that cannot be easily separated and recycled or replaced as they wear out. Additionally, I’ve spent a lot of time on the New Balance factory floor watching how many hands touch a pair of shoes before it is complete; traditional shoe construction requires significant labor and post-processing that increases time, cost, and human effort. I wanted to create an inspirational knit project that explored sustainable footwear solutions that reduced the number of components, adhesives, and labor involved.