2024 / Special Awards

Surreal

Photo Credit: Shay Ben-Efraim

 

 

  • Lead Designer
    Deborah Kiwi
  • Photo credit
    Shay Ben-efraim
  • Prize
    Independent Footwear Designer of the Year, Winner in ARTISTIC FOOTWEAR, Overall winner in SPECIAL AWARDS
  • Expertise
    Independent

This work explores the nature of disorienting transition, capturing a moment of disruption. The familiar lower part of the footwear serves as a foundation, anchoring the design. However, it is abruptly altered as traditional shoe-like features are stripped away in favor of abstraction. The monochromatic color enhances the footwear’s unconventional form and exaggerated volume. Despite its avant-garde appearance, the internal mule structure ensures the shoe remains functional, grounding the surreal in practicality. Ultimately, this design embodies a moment of intense change and impact.

Bio
Specializing in unconventional footwear, shoe designer and maker Deborah Kiwi, aims to blur the lines between art and design. Viewing footwear as an extension of the body, her work explores shape and proportion while addressing themes such as culture, gender and sustainability. With a background in Industrial Design, Deborah transitioned to the artisan craft of shoemaking, creating work that is both thoughtful and thought-provoking.

Other prizes
Global Footwear Awards 2023 Winner - Category Sustainability Global Footwear Awards 2023 Winner - Special Awards Artist footwear Global Footwear Awards 2022 Overall Winner - Category Special Awards Global Footwear Awards 2022 Category Winner - Category Special Awards Global Footwear Awards 2021 Winner - Category Artistic Footwear Global Footwear Awards 2021 Honorable Mention - Category Artistic Footwear