About Neunoi
Our goal is simple:
Less waste. More appreciation. And that in a field shaped by constant change: millions of shoes are discarded every year, even though much of their lifespan still lies ahead of them.
We believe that signs of use aren't flaws. A scratch tells of an adventure. A repair tells of appreciation.
Our sneakers should be worn, repaired and passed on. Not as a perfect end goal, but as a concrete step towards a more conscious use of resources, materials and products.
This thinking and acting in cycles is deeply rooted in NEUNOI's DNA.
The people behind NEUNOI
We are Narada Zürrer (industrial designer), Andrina Schmid (BOMBYX MORI brand strategy and design) and Robin Hedinger (UX and web designer).
Nari is the founder of NEUNOI, and Andrina and Robin have been supporting him since the beginning of this year on the journey to develop NEUNOI into an impactful brand.
With children, not for children.
Before developing the first prototype, we asked children what makes a shoe interesting to them. What do they like? And what's missing? The first designs were created not on a computer, but on paper: in the form of colourful sketches, big visions and serious conversations. Many ideas from these workshops accompany NEUNOI to this day. Because whoever designs for children should first listen to them.
NEUNOI in the media
From SRF to Galaxus and in the national museum...
What began as a bachelor's project at the Zurich University of the Arts developed step by step: children's workshops, first prototypes, tests with families, material research, exhibitions, media reports, new partnerships and finally the first production. Every step has shown us how complex a seemingly simple children's shoe can be. And how much potential it still holds.
We're still finding our feet.
A cycle doesn't happen on paper, but in real life. Only after the first production will the really exciting questions arise:
What does it take for the shoes to actually be sent back? How do they look after the first and second repair round? Will they find a third or fourth home? We don't know yet. And that's exactly what we want to find out together with you children and families.
The NEUNOI beetle gang
In nature there's no waste. Everything is passed on, transformed and becomes part of a new cycle. The four NEUNOI beetles remind us of this. They accompany our sneakers from adventure to adventure and give children this way of thinking in cycles for their journey.