Slow down fast fashion.
As part of Recare: about shoes, a Vlaio Living lab in collaboration with Torfs, we set out to flip the script on shoe care. Because let’s be honest, nobody wakes up excited to clean their sneakers. We built a brand that turns care into a statement. One that challenges throwaway culture and proves that keeping your shoes alive a little longer can make a serious impact. Less waste, less CO₂, less nonsense. The project positions care as a powerful circular strategy. The ambition was clear: create a brand that doesn’t just sell products, but shifts behavior.
From Category to Experience
We approached shoe care as an experience rather than a category. While existing products perform well, they lack emotional resonance and visibility in people’s daily lives. Through a fresh and playful brand identity, we turned maintenance into something intuitive, rewarding, and even enjoyable. By making care feel smart and accessible, the brand speaks to a mindset that values longevity, without compromising on style or convenience.
Design as research
This project is a question in disguise: can we design our way out of fast fashion habits? By making care visible, social, and fun, we push people to rethink value. Not by preaching, but by proving it. Because if we can make taking care feel this good, why would you throw things away?
Designed for Engagement
The concept came to life through an interactive live installation. People show up, roll up their sleeves, and reconnect with what they already own. Fix it. Refresh it. Restyle it. Suddenly, those “old” sneakers hit different. In-store workshops create moments where people actively engage with their belongings, cleaning, restoring, and even restyling their shoes. These interactions transform care into a shared, hands-on experience that resonates across generations.
Ines De Peuter - Flanders District of Creativity
ReCare is momenteel mijn favoriete Living Lab, niet enkel om de inhoud van het project maar vooral omwille van de warme samenwerking. De Omvormers zijn superinventief maar vooral heel collaboratief en inclusief!
Client: Self initiated
Year: 2026
Discipline: Branding, Storytelling, Design Research, Living Lab
Project team: Mathias De Winter, Dieter Desmet, Ben Hagenaers, Laura Broux
Recare about shoes is een Living Lab dat deels wordt gefinancierd door VLAIO. VLAIO is hét aanspreekpunt van de Vlaamse overheid voor alle ondernemers in Vlaanderen. We stimuleren en ondersteunen innovatie en ondernemerschap en dragen bij aan een gunstig ondernemersklimaat. Dit doen we in samenwerking met tal van partners. VLAIO zet volop in op circulair ondernemen. Daarom kreeg dit project VLAIO steun én middelen
