These Sneakers by Norm Architects Might Have You Reconsidering Your Shoes-Off Policy

The Danish firm partnered with footwear brand Koio to create a minimal shoe with maximum design clout.

Text by

A squeaky clean Barcelona residence by Norm Architects is the backdrop for the firm’s latest collaboration, a shoe with luxe footwear brand Koio. The shoe combines an Oxford’s classic lines with the comfort of a sneaker, and an added touch, a folding heel flap, turns them into house slippers. The versatility will appeal to the minimalist at heart, but so will the honest display of materials.

Norm Architects let the quality of the materials shine in its collaboration with footwear brand Koio.

"The main idea was to nearly deconstruct the shoe and turn it inside-out, showing how everything is attached by putting the construction elements on the outside," says Norm.

The black leather model matches the window frames of a home Norm designed in Spain.

The suede color echoes furnishings throughout the residence.

A heel flap collapses to turn the shoe into a slipper, playing on design that serves multiple functions.

Two colorways with exposed stitching and vamps bear the hillside home’s detailing: one in black leather that matches the steel frames of the windows, and another in a brownish-gray suede that mirrors softer elements—carpets, curtains, oak cabinets, and a bench Norm created with Japanese furniture maker Karimoku Case Study.

A dark-stained oak joint in the bench mirrors the stitch in the vamp of the sneaker. "They’re not just ornamental, they’re functional elements, defining the designs in an understated manner," says Norm.

"We want to create minimalist designs defined by natural materials and honest construction," says the firm. "Designs that stand out and blend in at the same time."

Karimoku shares an affinity with Norm’s "soft minimalism," where craftsmanship and the honest, inherent qualities of the materials shine. Made of solid oak and topped with a beige suede cushion, the bench falls in step with the design approach of the shoes—and the home.

These Sneakers by Norm Architects Might Have You Reconsidering Your Shoes-Off Policy - Photo 7 of 11 -

"There should always be a strong connection between the site, the space, the materials, and all the details," says architect and Norm cofounder Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen of the firm’s holistic outlook. "That’s how our designs are born. They’re created by a real need for a real place."

Pick up your own pair of Koio and Norm Architects sneakers here.