Zaha Hadid and United Nude Unveil the nOVa Shoe

Zaha Hadid is no stranger to the marriage of architecture and fashion. She’s designed runways for Chanel, shoes for Lacoste, and was even named Woman of the Year by Glamour Magazine in 2012. On her quest to feed a constant desire for experimentation and innovation, she has turned to the world of smaller-scale objects in order to work out new fabrication techniques and possibly even redefine formal relationships. Her latest foray into fashion—designing shoes in collaboration with Rem D. Koolhaas’s brand United Nude— brings her architectural style to the feet of ladies willing to shell out $2000 USD for a pair of daring, cantilevered heels.

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Launched yesterday at United Nude’s Paris store, the nOVa shoe draws on structural principles, letting it stagger over a height of 16cm (6.25 in) and creating the illusion of an “unsupported” high-heel. United Nude claims that the digitally-designed footwear (made of vinyl, rubber, fiberglass and leather) is not only comfortable but revolutionary: “the NOVA is the first shoe in history to employ rotation molding, which is the only molding technique that allows for such a smooth and seamless result.”

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On her collaboration with “the original shoe architect,” Rem D Koolhaas, Hadid says, “I have always appreciated those who dare to experiment with materials and proportions. Our collaboration with United Nude reinterprets the classic shoe typology; pushing the boundaries of what is possible without compromising integrity.” You can pre-order the limited-edition shoes on United Nude’s site.