Balena, Framas
FOOT LOOP – Moon Rabbit X Balena X Framas
During Milan Design Week 2025, MoonRabbit unveiled an experimental project exploring the full potential of circular design through the creation of a fully monomaterial, compostable shoe. Developed in collaboration with Framas, a German manufacturer of footwear components, and Balena, a startup pioneering sustainable materials, the project rethinks how footwear is designed, produced, and returned to the earth.
The goal was to eliminate the complexity of mixed materials, adhesives, and disassembly by creating a shoe that could follow a true circular lifecycle. The result: a 3D-printed shoe, made entirely from Balena’s patented material—flexible, durable, and industrially compostable—allowing it to break down naturally at the end of its use.
The installation, presented at the Isola Design Festival, offered two parallel narratives. One showcased the shoe’s creation process: virtual design, additive manufacturing, and display of the final product. The second focused on the material itself—its characteristics, applications, and composting stages—emphasizing its regenerative nature.
The project culminated in an evolving modular installation made from the same material as the shoes, highlighting the concept’s coherence and circular intent. This collaboration demonstrates how a systemic approach to design can drastically reduce waste, simplify recycling, and give shape to regenerative, future-proof products that place sustainability at the core of innovation.
