The next time you need a portable shelter, you could just pull it out of your sneakers and expand it into a tent using your own body as a frame. The Walking Shelter packs a lightweight nylon tent into two net pockets integrated into a pair of shoes. Pull it over yourself and you’ve got a rain-proof structure that will keep you dry and comfortable, as long as you don’t mind sitting up for extended periods.
Designed by SIBLING, a collective based in Melbourne, Sydney and Amsterdam, Walking Shelter can be customized by the user to adapt to a variety of contexts and environments. While it may not be the most practical tent for real-life use, it makes an interesting statement on the nature of human shelter in the modern urban world.
The design calls to mind other shelters, made for both practical applications and as statement-making thought pieces, that could make life more comfortable for the homeless. Could such a simple design help address a chronic global problem, in a small way?
