Footwear design

perspectives, approaches and methods focus on sustainability

Abstract

The evidence of negative environmental impacts caused by the footwear sector has led to the proposal and development of design solutions that meet existing demands, with responses that address the problem with an emphasis on prevention and feasibility of implementation. Theoretical studies elevate conceptual discussions; however, they often distance themselves from concrete and contextualized application possibilities in the production system. In search of objective guidelines directed at enabling design practices that emphasize sustainability in the footwear sector, this study investigated, through a systematic literature review, what have been the main benchmarks of this journey. The results pointed to green economy, environmental regulations and policies, design for sustainability, ecodesign, life cycle assessment, life cycle closure, and selection of materials with low environmental impact. Based on the proposition by Van Boeijen, Daalhuizen, and Zijlstra (2020), the aspects considered by the authors of the analyzed publications were categorized into perspectives, approaches/strategies, and methods/tools. A better understanding of the role played by each aspect in the design process facilitated the identification of possible correlations between them. It is hoped that this will facilitate future investigations and practices on sustainable footwear design.