What if, we could design a greener and cheaper shoe where you replace part of the shoe when the weather changes or when one part of the shoe is worn out?
My strongest memory of seeing ptarmigan comes from a skiing holiday in the Swedish mountains. I never really liked cross-country skiing and on a windy cold day, there was actually nothing that I disliked more.
And there the bitterly cold weather I spotted a ptarmigan. Even today, I can remember my surprise that the little white bird could survive in this cold climate while all I was thinking about was a hot cup of chocolate and a warm house.
Ptarmigans’ legs and feet are covered in feathers to keep them warm. But the feathered feet may act like snowshoes so that ptarmigan can walk atop soft snow.
Segmentation is a creative thinking technique where you can divide an object into independent parts. Like dividing a shoe into different parts.
Sneakers are a billion-pound business. Yet, all sneakers are built in the same way. They consist of a combination of soles and uppers.
Can you design a shoe kit inspired by the ptarmigan’s feathered feet?
Be inspired by this picture, but have some fun and make it into a cool kit. You are not selling shoes but kits where different parts can be put together: a cool sneaker or Converse kit.
Photo: By Ómar Runólfsson – Rock Ptarmigan – Lagopus muta – RjúpaUploaded by Snowmanradio, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14846084
Frequently Asked Questions
What is biomimicry?
Biomimicry is the practice of looking to nature for solutions, then applying what we learn to design and problem-solving. Instead of inventing from scratch, it means studying how plants, animals, and ecosystems have already solved a challenge — like staying cool, collecting water, or absorbing carbon — and adapting that strategy for human use.
How does biomimicry help address climate change?
Nature has been adapting to extreme conditions for billions of years, so many organisms already hold working solutions to problems we now face at a larger scale — cooling buildings without electricity (termite mounds), collecting water in drought (the Namib beetle), protecting coastlines from storms (mangrove roots), and capturing carbon (corals, forests, kelp). Biomimicry means studying those solutions and applying the same principles to human design.
How can children get involved in biomimicry?
Children don’t need special training to think like a biomimicrist — just curiosity and a habit of asking “how does nature solve this?” Simple ways to start include a backyard scavenger hunt for nature’s patterns, a “design-an-animal” challenge for a changing climate, or building a small model (like a passive-cooling structure or a water collector) inspired by something they’ve observed outdoors.
Is biomimicry only for scientists and engineers?
No — biomimicry is as much a mindset as a profession. Anyone can practice it by observing nature closely and asking design questions. Professional biomimicry practitioners apply it in architecture, materials science, and engineering, but the same core skill — careful observation followed by “what if we built it that way?” — is exactly what this post’s classroom and family activities are designed to build in children.
Åsa Jomård
In 2015, Åsa completed a course in Biomimicry: A Sustainable Design Methodology at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. With over 10 years of experience exploring nature for inspiration and as a former member of Ben, Biomimicry Education Network, she brings both academic background and creative teaching experience to her work. Her materials seamlessly integrate stories, nature observations, and design challenges, making them perfect for inquiry-led learning in early primary contexts.
AI was used as a Thinking Partner.
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