This protocell shoe was designed and 3-D printed by Shamees Aden, who used a synthetic biological material that would function like a second skin and repair itself.

The concept is wonderful but the same can't be said about how the shoe looks.

Protocells are non-living chemicals that can behave like living cells. These can inflate or deflate in response to pressure, allowing them to better support your foot. Aden has been working with Martin Hanczyc, a chemist at the University of Southern Denmark, to develop the concept of protocell trainers, which she presented at the Wearable Futures conference in London.

Aden "believes that we are on the cusp of a material revolution led by emerging living technologies, and that science is becoming the future designer’s toolbox."

In theory, after you use your protocell shoe, you need to drop it in a jar of special liquid which would keep the cells healthy and could be used to dye them fun colors.

If the shoe does exist for the future of footwear, let's hope it gets a more visually pleasing aesthetic.