Ambidextrous bi-directional slippers can be worn in any orientation… because life’s too short to be fumbling with your footwear!
It’s customary in Japan to take off your footwear before entering any residential premises. It’s also customary for the host to then rotate the footwear 180° when the guest is about to leave, so they can simply wear their shoes and walk out. FOOTatsu conveniently solves that problem. Molded directly out of a single material, FOOTatsu (which translates to the word ‘two’ in Japanese) comes with a unique design that can be worn forwards or backward. The slip-on footwear comes with two hoods – one to cover your toes and another to cushion your heel. Flip the FOOTatsu over and it can still be worn pretty much the same way, while its ambidextrous design allows you to easily swap left and right slippers too!
Designer: Cameron Snelgar
Designed by Cameron Snelgar, FOOTatsu’s bi-directional form factor really breaks the archetype of how shoes are made, manufactured, and perceived. Each shoe is symmetrically designed, both on its vertical and horizontal axes. The hood on the Footatsu comes with a semi-circular lip too, which cradles the heel when you wear it. The entire FOOTatsu is made from a single rubber material (sort of like how Crocs are made), allowing it to be flexible, comfortable, and durable.
“EVA molded units will work well but ultimately these slippers would be best hand-made in Japan out of natural materials and textiles,” says Cameron. The Australia-based designer is currently looking to partner with Crocs or MUJI to help commercially launch FOOTatsu.
The FOOTatsu’s design inherently protects your toes and cushions your heel no matter how you wear it. Even the treads on the underside are bi-directional, allowing you to have exactly the same experience no matter how you wear the shoe. If only Cameron could now focus his efforts on redesigning USB ports to work no matter the orientation, we’ll all be in a measurably better world!
