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Maxim Verheul is a Dutch shoe designer who draws his inspiration from Dutch cultural heritage, in this case "the clog.
His research in the Shoe Quarter focuses on the Dutch wooden shoe and the craft of making wooden shoes by hand, combined with contemporary design. By seeking an equal collaboration between traditional clog makers, shoe and product designers, a new perspective emerges: he will experiment with form and material, discuss the context, research local production, sustainability, wearing comfort, and in doing so try to establish a new language of form.
During his residency at the Schoenenkwartier, Maxim aims to take inspiration from the Schoenenkwartier's collection of wooden shoes and translate its rich Dutch cultural history into a contemporary era or fashion. He is exploring new ways of shaping and producing wooden soles in collaboration with the company Gerla*, using Gerla's latest CNC milling machines.
Maxim's research in the Shoe Quarter focuses on several areas: from locality, material use and experimentation (such as which wood, sustainability, recycling, other material options, molds in molds) to new design of the existing wooden shoe (what is the meaning of the design of the existing wooden shoes, cultural heritage, regional folklore, other cultures, gender) to wear comfort and customs.
In short Maxim is researching Dutch manufacturing and production methods across the broad spectrum using new techniques such as 3D scanning and 3D printing and in collaboration with Gerla.
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*Gerlais a hundred-year-old clog factory, working on innovative new designs and with manufacturing capabilities in Holland and Portugal.
