As face masks become more common in public settings, some people are getting creative with their designs.
Belgian based design studio WeWantMore has developed a series of facemasks from materials from old sneakers. Though the masks offer its wearers some protection, they are not for sale for public use. Rather, they are meant as an artistic commentary of how the world can adapt to the new reality of life amid the pandemic.
"More than any other type of shoe, sneakers play a significant role in expressing people's identity," said Ruud Belmans, cofounder and creative director of spatial design at WeWantMore and the creator of the masks, in a press release. "By dissecting the sneaker into its elemental parts and recreating it as a face mask, we changed its functional role, but the emotional one remains the same. It's still a way to show the world who you are."
Belmans created the masks by hand, without using any computer design software. The goal was to show how the coronavirus is forcing people to approach life through a different lens.
"Rather than restrictions, WeWantMore sees opportunities to challenge the status quo and rethink traditional roles," Belmans said in the press release. "It's a chance to take things apart, reinvent them and make them relevant again within the new normal."
The masks feature elements from popular Nike and Adidas silhouettes as well as Saucony and Arkk Copenhagen sneakers.
Here's a look at the collection:
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