The Project

‘This is not a shoe’ is a research-driven creative project that originated as the first assessment for the Fashion Design Body Artefacts and Accessories course in the Bachelor of Fashion (Design) at RMIT University in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia.

The course and research were guided by coordinator Alexandra Sherlock’s doctoral work exploring how shoes’ material and semiotic affordances influence wearers and producers in shaping their values, identities and a sense of purpose and belonging.

Over time, the project has evolved independently under Alex's and colleague Pennie Jagiello’s leadership, gaining recognition through exhibits, workshops, and talks at fashion weeks, festivals, and community groups, and internationally through Higher Education fashion and footwear programs.

Now based at a permanent studio at Abbotsford Convent in Naarm/Melbourne, Alex and Pennie are expanding the project through the Footwear Research Network to tackle worldwide issues related to the social, cultural, and environmental effects of mass footwear production and consumption.

Click the link below for more about the original research, publications, and teaching resources. All resources are open access - please credit the TINAS team and help to share our work.