WorkArt & Culture

Storytelling Shoes: Artist transforms shoes into sculptures that tell a tale

Before you throw out those old shoes, consider the work of Greek born Israeli artist Costa Magarakis, who loves to transform different footwear into sculptures that tell their own stories.

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Surreal shoe sculpture with a curved tentacle-like appendage, gold upper, pink stockinged legs with clawed feet, and a small dangling ornament

From former skating shoes and high heeled wedges to sporty trainers and big boots – Costa's imagination runs wild, taking inspiration from Victorian inventions and classical fiction. You can almost imagine them leaping from the pages of a Jules Verne novel.

Alas, you can't actually don Costa's creations. They are made of reinforced stone hard resin or high quality fibreglass and aren't wearable. However, you can purchase a sculpture of your own, as he sells his one-of-a-kind pieces via Etsy. To find out more, visit www.costamagarakis.com.

Via BoredPanda | All images courtesy of Costa Magarakis

Steampunk shoe sculpture featuring a brown boot with turquoise fins, brass wheels and mechanical details, topped with a tiny figure and bird
A whimsical shoe sculpture by Costa Magarakis transforms a giant pale green boot into a towering structure topped with an orange wooden house and a figure standing on a bridge
A large brown boot transformed into a three-storey building with white-framed windows, flames erupting from the top, and a tiny figure on a ladder against the sole
A miniature pale blue house with red roof and wooden railings perches on top of a giant brown shoe, with a tiny red figure standing on the wooden walkway
Steampunk shoe sculpture featuring a cream high-heeled boot transformed into a mechanical contraption with brass wheels, gears and a glass dome top, mounted on a wheeled base
Pink flamingo sculpture incorporating a suede heel shoe atop a wooden base with red fringing detail
Ornate steampunk airship sculpture fashioned from a red shoe with brass towers, spikes, chains and a skull emblem, inspired by Victorian invention design
Blue shoe sculpture with a brass skull head and curved horn-like extensions, mounted on wooden rockers by Costa Magarakis
Steampunk-inspired shoe sculpture featuring a black boot transformed into a mechanical contraption with a glass dome head, brass tubing, and a wheeled base
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